My SeriesHTTYD 1-Prophecy Of Magic
by Ice Warrior101
Summary: A Girl, A Father. A Silence, A Vow. One Death, Two Bloods. An Adventure, From Magic Past, To Now. Ice and Fire, Two In One. Wind And Earth, Two Out Of None. Training Of Elements, Keeper Of Four. Sisters Of Five, Never Destined To Meet. But Fait Be Changed, A Year Of World Collisions. With A Twenty Year Secret, To Keep.
1. Blood, Death, And Honor

Her eyes were wide with fear, her back pressed against the wall as her arms were on either side of her.

She squeezed her eyes shut, willing the beast in front of her to go away.

A small whimper escaped her lips, it was filled with fear and with slight pain as a sliver drove into her hand.

But as she opened her eyes, she saw that the Deadly Nadder was still there.

Sure, it was only a baby, maybe six to eight months old, but a dragon at that age was still taller than a five year old Viking in the makings like herself.

It was the bright cyan blue color of the sky as, yellow, and light green were also scattered all over the body of the dragon. The dim light of the stars raked its body, making the green slightly glow.

In appearance, the Deadly Nadder was very bird-like: it was bipedal and possessed winged four limbs, this making it twice the size of a Viking teen.

It's small yet keen eyes, equipped with binocular vision, was one of its tools it used to stalk its prey.

Usually a Deadly Nadder was vivid blue in color, with a light beige underbelly, while its wings are normally matted with yellow, orange, green, and blue.

In front of its eyes was a curved nasal horn which was often used to batter opponents; its lower jaw was shorter and wider than its upper, giving it an overbite.

Ringing its skull was a set of spikes. Coating the tail was a series of spikes that could inject venom into a target. When relaxed, its head spikes and venomous tail spikes lay flat, when alarmed, they are shot upward to intimidate its foe.

The tail spikes can also be used to make a rattling sound which it makes right before it attacks, similar to a rattlesnake.

Its wings were slightly tucked at its sides, its muscles tense, showing that it was ready to bolt at any minute.

The Deadly Nadder cocked its head slightly, curiosity sparkling like stars in the bottomless depths of its yellow orbs.

For some reason, she calmed down, she could feel the thumping in her chest go back to its normal beat as she found her eyes reflecting the same curiosity the beast had.

The muscles on the Deadly Nadders body relaxed a bit more as it bravely took a step toward her.

She could no longer feel the hard solid touch of the wood wall against her back as she also took a step forward.

Immediately the Nadder took a step back as it spread its wings in a defensive posture. The spikes on its head jutted forward a little as its calm yellow eyes seemed to turn a shade darker.

Her Viking instinct seemed to kick in as well as she found herself unconsciously moving towards the stairs to where she could make a quick escape.

A little voice in her head told her to run, but there was something else. Some little feeling that made her want to throw up.

It grew and grew until she felt it burning in the pit of her stomach, almost like that one time she drank some of her dad's meed, now that was gross. Yeah, so she hadn't fainted or gotten drunk like any other Viking would, but the thick taste of the overwhelming sweetness of the liquid running down her throat sent shivers running up and down her spine.

But this was something different, she wanted to go near the beast, to learn more about it, even though she knew it went against everything she knew.

She found herself reaching forward, her right arm extending so that it was just inches from the Deadly Nadders beak shaped nose.

It snorted, its nostrils slightly flaring, but not in a I'm-gonna-kill-you way.

She felt the warm air brush her fingertips, but it wasn't the dragon's breath that led to the warmth that slowly crawled through her chest and consumed her body.

Her hand was just a inch away from the dragon, her body felt electrified with excitement.

She took her time moving her arm, letting the dragon second guess if it wanted a Viking touching it. But the dragon didn't move.

Her hand barely brushed the dragon's snout, just below the nasal horn that rested on its nose. The touch felt like the tickle of a feather on her palm, only a ghostly and hollow distance was between the dragon and her hand now.

She took in a deep and shaky breath, the liquidy energy that coursed through her body was like a silent yet searing scream that echoed off the sappy nothingness and blurred thoughts as the dragon was all she thought about.

The Deadly Nadder's eyes fluttered shut ever so often, only to lazily snap open before they could fully close. Its eyes seemed to grow bigger and look more like a humans pupils than the predatory eyes of a vicious beast. It was odd and in a mysterious way…..cute.

Her hand that rested in mid-air before the dragon seemed to trap it in a trance, making it vulnerable and weak.

But she didn't attack. Many others, no, everyone else would've grabbed a random weapon and slayed the so called monster without a second thought, but the more she stood in that position the more she realized something.

An animal that had so much raw power and so much sheer strength was not harming her.

The tense coil that showed on the dragons body were still slightly visible, but not by much, and she could tell the animal was more relaxed.

The dragon locked eyes with her, confusion filled them, yet in the far corner of the beasts eyes she saw happiness.

Everything they knew about dragons, was wrong.

Surely nobody would agree with her, they would rather kill her or leave for dead on Outcast Island than even consider hesitating before they slaughtered a dragon.

Especially Stoick The Vast, Chief of the Hairy Hooligans Tribe and sole protector of Berk. Not to mention he hated dragons, despised them, and would kill them with his bare hands rather than let one live.

She couldn't really blame him though, no one could.

Six years ago Valka, his wife, had been taken by a dragon while protecting her son, Hiccup. They proclaimed her dead after searching for her for over a year, no one talked about it, about her.

Valka had always believed that dragons and Vikings could become friends, now she knew why she believed that.

A sound caused her to snapped back into real life.

The sound emanated from the dragon, a sound that was not a screech, squawk, nor a earsplitting roar, but a simple and innocent pur that dripped with complete and utter bliss.

She could hear the sound come from the stomach of the beast and slip out of its bird-like mouth, she was so close she could practically feel the small vibration the pur sent through its body as its neck muscles tensed by being used in such a way that it had not been in such a long time.

She was about to close the already very small gap between her and the Nadder, when her room door burst open.

The sudden movement scared the Nadder, making it jerk away.

The sudden absence of the dragon's warm breath sent a clutching pain ricocheting through her body and clenching her heart in unbelievable pain.

Her father, Keen, stumbled into her room, his breaths somewhat fast and short.

He wore a brown long sleeved shirt and some darker brown pants and fur boots, he also wore a yak hide cape that were held down by plain shoulder armor.

His brown beard was filled with grime and some ash from the fire filled battle that raged on outside.

He frantically looked at the huge gaping hole in the roof where the Deadly Nadder had come through, his eyes filled with fear.

Keen's eyes locked with hers, a smile of relief tugged at the corner of his lips, until he noticed the Nadder barely two feet away from her.

" Get back! " He yelled, warning her of the dragon who she had nearly touched.

He ran at full speed at the Nadder, his double bladed axe raised over his head as he prepared to slaughter the beast in front of him.

The Nadders eyes turned into slits, instinct making it charge at the human who was attacking it.

It lowered its body to the ground and raised its wings in defense, squawking and challengingly cocking its head at him.

Keen finally reached the dragon and took a swing with his axe.

The dragon dodged the blow and ducked its head, it then butted the front flat part of its horns not to softly against his stomach.

" Oof! " The impact made Keen stagger back a few steps as he regained his balance. With a glare he was again running at the beast, but the small room didn't leave too much room for a proper fight.

He faked to his left then went right, taking the beast by surprise.

With his hands clutching the handle of the axe and with all his strength and speed he brought it down right above the dragons head.

The Dragon moved just in time and ran behind her father, raising its head it then brought its horn down on the Viking in front of it.

The rest was just a big blur of pain and blood, a lot of blood.

Astrid held her fathers axe, light green dragon blood smeared the once clean axe.

She stood over the dragons body, watching its chest rise and fall with short raspy breaths. Long gashes went down its wings and stomach, other cuts, scratches, and bruises littered its body.

Astrid's eyes were wide, green and red blood smeared her face and drenched her clothes, none of the blood was hers.

Hesitantly, she walked over to her father's body, unlike the dragon, he wasn't breathing. She stopped just at the edge of the pool of crimson that seemed to enclose around his body.

Tears threatened to spill, but she held them back, Vikings didn't cry.

She heard loud and fast footsteps near her hut, but she didn't move.

Her door was thrown open once again, but this time, it wasn't her father walking through the door.

She heard murmurs ripple throughout the small crowd, some of worry, some of excitement, most of mourning.

Why they were excited about her fathers death, she didn't know. Rage boiled in her blood, but her energy to even blink was gone.

Realizing how tired and worn out she was from the fight, she almost threw the axe on the floor, but she stopped herself.

This axe was her fathers, he never really gave her anything and she never asked for anything, she was suppose to get her own weapon when she turned seven, but she would have been accompanied by her father.

Her father was dead, and the blood coated axe was the last thing she had of him. She had nothing else, no one else.

Her mother had died giving birth to her, she had no aunts, uncles or cousins, and now her father was dead.

Realization hit her like a hammer. Her father was dead.

The tears almost fell, but she blinked them back.

Something inside her tore, her heart.

She could feel it tear, falling apart as if a Monstrous Nightmare was mercilessly shredding it. The gut wrenching jerk added to the pain of the knot that tightened in her stomach. She wanted to throw up.

But the pain suddenly eased into numbness, the knot inside her stomach loosened only to tighten in a searing spark of agonizing pain that felt oddly….comforting.

Her heart seemed to glaze over with the invisible frost of what felt like anger and acceptance. It was torn, tattered, and scarred, but she could feel it there, as if it was growing back.

It was as if it was growing back in a different way. It was twisted and shielded, gnawed and snarled by the fire of pleading death and anger that licked at her insides.

Her eyes narrowed, the young, frail and weak six year old was no longer there.

Astrid turned her head towards the Nadder that was practically dead, but it wasn't dead. She was going to end its life, for her father.

She felt a strong hand rest on her left shoulder, holding her back from injuring the dragon more.

She would've looked up, if she had not already known who it was.

Stoick The Vast, the Chief of the Hairy Hooligans Tribe and a mountain of a man stood over her.

" Put it with the others. " Stoicks strong and commanding voice was aimed at one of the other Vikings in the crowd that was now the whole village who had decided to try and cram into one little room, yeah, like that was a great idea.

She watched as Spitelout, the brother of Stoick and father of Snotlout who was a somewhat strong Viking boy, tied the dragons legs and binded its wings and mouth.

It didn't deserve to live, she wanted it dead, its blood splattering the already red floor of the hut, her _father's _hut.

She struggled against the Chiefs hold, but he held her still.

She wanted to yell and to scream, she wanted to kick and to punch at everything and everyone.

But she tensed her muscles and held still, biting her tongue until she tasted the somewhat calming and sweet taste of blood.

" Astrid. " Stoick's booming voice was a calm and sweet whisper of words. " I know this is hard for you- "

She felt his hold loosen and she took her chance. Ripping away from the Viking's grip in a fast yank, she swirled around and glared daggers at the man, a savage and inhuman snarl added to the already high intensity of the enraged frown she held.

The Chief of Berk took a fast step back, fear danced across his face like the flickering of a fire. Never had he seen such pure rage and hate, while pain oozed through the barriers that held all the young Vikings emotions at bay.

Quickly regaining his composure, he stepped forward again and got on one knee to look her in the eyes, yet fear was still visible on his face.

'_I want it dead.' _ She hissed to herself, venom coated her words as her eyes held the fact that keeping it alive was not an option.

Stoick couldn't help but let a small smile cross his face, at that Astrid gave him a look that said '_I will drive this axe into your skull if you don't stop.' _And he knew she would to.

But she had knocked out a dragon, and a Deadly Nadder at that. Sure it was only a baby, but so was she, yet she looked nothing like that sweet six year old girl he had seen just hours before. Taking her place was a warrior, a young Viking who was sure to grow up to be one of the best fighters on Berk.

" You will be a great Viking Astrid. " He gave her a caring look that held sour pity at his next words. " You're parents would be proud. "

Shock, pain, anger, hate, and angst flooded her as wave after wave of tears yearned to scar her cheeks with their salty streak, but she mentally punched herself.

She was a Viking. She was a Viking! Instead of crying she narrowed her eyes.

Chief or not, she would not let him talk about her father's death just yet. Although she knew it was true, she didn't want to come to terms with it, even though she already had.

When her heart had somehow fixed itself in a mess of knots and horrid twists that held her emotions, she had felt no pain over the sight of her father's motionless body.

" It's a sad time for all of us, you lost a father, I know that. " He looked her dead in the eyes. " But we lost a friend too. "

She turned her head away, she couldn't bear to look at the pain in the Chief's eyes, but that was nothing compared to her hate for the beast that had murdered her father.

" Astrid, say something. " Stoick urged the young Viking to at least look at him again. But she didn't.

Her heart was cold, due to the frost that had now covered and frozen her emotions, she found no words to speak, why talk when there was nothing to say?

So instead she watched as the Vikings dragged the Nadder to the Kill Arena, where it would be used to train young Vikings like herself how to fight in the raids.

She would see the dragon again in six to seven years if it stayed alive long enough for her to turn thirteen.

Astrid thought back to the heat and the comfort the dragon had brought her, the utter bliss and blinding energy she had felt when her palm had almost pressed against the dragons nose.

It was gone now. Both the dragon and the happiness was gone, replaced by the need for vengeance.

She knew they would keep the dragon alive. They would feed it enough so it would stay breathing, and they would give it enough water so that it would have enough energy to actually fight the Viking teens when it was let out for training.

But it would stay in its cage, never to stretch its wings again, and never to soar through the skies like a free bird. And Astrid was just fine with that.

But the guilt nagged at the back of her brain. She tried to push the pang of pity she felt down, to drown it in the vast ocean of her thoughts. But it was stubborn, and resurfaced like a piece of drift wood.

" Astrid. "

She was brought back to reality as the sound of her name cut through the thick fog of her dazed mind. She looked up at the Chief with an annoyed look that asked him what he wanted.

He was about to say something, but he stopped himself, he knew she wouldn't respond. The death of her father had pierced through the part of her that had held her young Viking joy, she wasn't the same, she never would be the same again.

He sighed as he stood up again, when he faced the crowd of Vikings his face held no emotion, the stoic look he bore pulled everyones attention to him.

" Today we have lost a great Viking. " He stole a quick glance at Keen's body. " He was a fighter, a father, a friend. " Astrid didn't even flinch at the traditional words that were said as she stood by the Chief. " May the golden gates of Valhalla open up to him and welcome him in the Hall of Great Warriors. " With one last gruff huff he finished it off. " May he rest in piece. "

The Vikings nodded with respect at the honored words Stoick spoke to them about one of their dearest friends.

The Sail of the Seven Great Seas was the traditional send off Astrid had chosen for her father.

His boat had been one of the best on Berk, carved into it had been the most beautiful drawings. Gifts had been placed on his boat as a offering for the Warriors who guarded the gates of Valhalla, they were also friendly and caring send off gifts to one of the greatest Vikings who had fought to protect Berk. The fact that he had died protecting his only daughter was what gave him the highest honor of being placed on a boat made for the most respected Elders.

This would give the name Hofferson a high respect among Berk, but Astrid didn't care.

She had lost her father, and even though the pain was dull and numb, it was still there, and she felt it.

When her father's boat was a good distance away she raised the bow and pulled back the arrow.

The bow and arrow had been her mother's specialty, so her father had taught her how to fire one.

She took in a deep breath, no tears threatened to spill, she had no reason to cry, no reason to mourn, her father was dead and there was nothing she could do to bring him back.

Astrid felt the arrow slip from her grasp as she released the tension on the bow string.

The arrow sored through the air, landing perfectly on the wood bed that had been set up for her father's body to lay on.

When she lowered her bow, the Vikings that were in line next to her raised their bows and fired.

The arrow heads had been set on fire, so when the arrows sunk into the wood, the boat went up in a glorious ball of fame.

She looked at the boat and watched as it slowly made its way to the gates of Valhalla.

Slowly as the hours passed by, the crowd of Vikings disappeared until she was the only one left.

The darkness of light overcame the day time as stars speckled the sky.

Astrid stayed still, standing in the same spot, not one muscle had moved.

Vikings had feared she was dead, but the occasional rise and fall of her chest assured them that she was still alive.

Her father's boat was long gone, it has vanished in the rising fog that surrounded Berk every time night fell.

The hesitant and silent sound of walking neared her, but she made no movement.

" Hey...A-Astrid. Um..hi. " The stuttered words came together in a somewhat full sentence as she realized who the speaker was.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, son of Stoick the Vast and Heir to the throne as Chief of Berk stood off to her right side, a good few feet away.

She didn't look at him as she bit her tongue, she really didn't want to be near anyone, but Hiccup was oddly different.

He was a runt, a disgrace, a klutz, a burden, practically he was dead weight. But he was the son of Stoick the Vast, that was probably the only reason he hadn't been exiled and left for dead on some far off island.

She never really talked to him before, but she didn't bully him like the others did. Everyday he was taunted, teased, cursed, downgraded, shunned, ignored, avoided, rejected, and in extreme cases, beaten.

He wasn't beaten regularly, but he was always bruised because of Snotlout and his gang at least once a month.

She'd tried to stop the beatings, but her effort had only lasted so long.

Hiccup had and still was going through all that, but he held strong. He like all Vikings, was stubborn, that helped him get through the tough times.

More times than she could count he had always been his own savior, but one time she had come to his rescue.

* * *

><p>" <em>Hello useless. " Snotlout's words made Astrid aware that Hiccup was being picked on, again.<em>

" _Just leave me alone. " Hiccup's word were a pleaded whisper, a desperate cry for help, and Astrid felt something inside her snap._

_For years the bullying had been going on, Hiccup's father didn't even do anything about it, he thought it would somehow shape him into a greater man when he grew up._

_But Astrid knew better, it was cruel, and it was wrong._

" _What was that?! " Snotlout asked in a serious yet mocking voice, Astrid knew something bad was about to happen, but this time she wouldn't just sit back and watch._

_Astrid got up and off of the barrel she had been sitting on, sharpening her axe._

_She started walking a little faster._

" _N-N-Nothing. I'm s..sorry. " Hiccup's voice was barely a whisper as a sob caught in his throat, he knew what was coming._

" _Sorry ain't gonna cut it this time useless. " Ruffnut and Tuffnut, Berks only set of twins, laughed in excitement as they waited for the beating Snotlout would inflict upon the boy._

_Hiccup hadn't gotten his monthly beaten yet so he was probably gonna get it now._

_It was something Snotlout and the twins had come up with, they would only actually hit him when they felt like it, but they never let him have one month of no beatings, so it became a once a month thing._

_She heard a small whimper as realization made her start running._

_Astrid turned a corner, her eyes widened at the sight before her._

_Snotlout stood over Hiccup's small body, said boy was holding his stomach as he curled up into a ball, all the while wheezing at the loss of air._

_Anger slowly consumed her body, she had watched this happen once or twice before, but this time she realized how wrong it was._

_She turned her head to look at the rest of the gang._

_Ruff and Tuff were snickering and sending encouraging hoots and hollers at Snotlout, while Fishlegs just looked away in disgust. _

_Fishlegs was the only one out of the four who wasn't excited about it, but he wasn't doing anything about it either._

_Snotlout sent another kick in Hiccup's direction, but this time his foot made contact with the boys face instead of his stomach._

_The surprised look on Snotlout's face meant he hadn't meant to, but the confusion was soon masked with a smile._

_She was really mad now. Fuming, she made her way over to the two._

_Snotlout turned to look at who was coming, seeing it was her he saw the chance to try and flirt with her, again._

" _Hey Babe. " His smug smile widened. " Come to join the fun? "_

_Astrid didn't respond instead she kept walking toward the boy, swinging her axe in a circle in a challenging way._

_Snotlout ignored this and went for another kick to the already bruised boy._

_Hiccup closed his eyes, waiting for the blow to hit, but it never did._

_Snotlout yelled out in pain as he kicked the blade of Astrid's axe instead of Hiccup. She had blocked the hit with her axe._

_She swung her right arm and punched Snotlout in the face, he landing on the ground, clutching his bloody and broken nose._

_As he hissed in pain Astrid kicked him in the stomach, much like he had done to Hiccup._

_Getting over the pain, he quickly stood up._

_He blocked her next swing and sent his own punch at her face._

_She dodged it, kicking him in the knee. He doubled over in pain, she took this to her advantage and walked up behind him. She raised up her right hand which held her axe, bringing the butt of her axe down on his back._

_A howl of pain escaped from his lips as a sickening crunching sound echoed off the huts around them._

_It took him a while, but he stood up to face her._

_Enraged, he ran at her and started throwing fast and swift punches at her, each one fueled by his anger._

_One made contact with her face, a small trickle of blood running down her split lip._

_Snotlout's eyes widened in surprise, he'd hit a Hofferson._

_Hate and pure anger flared in her eyes, a dangerous and last warning that she was about to unleash Hel on him. _

_Hoffersons were respected on Berk, and _no one _dared to lay a finger on any of them. But the fact that one of them had been punched! Death would be paradise for what would happen to the unlucky victim of a Hofferson's rath. _

_She threw punch after punch at him, every single one breaking a bone in the boys body. She kicked him over and over, she held back nothing. Astrid even used her axe, butting him constantly and scratching him with just enough force so that it would leave a scar._

_Leaving no openings for Snotlout, she beat him until he was a bloody pulp._

_Blood smeared his face as his clothes were ripped and torn. His nose was crooked in a broken angle as his whole body was swollen. Looking like he had been stung by a thousand bees, Astrid still wasn't satisfied. _

_But she knew he had had enough, he had received more bullying in one day than he had inflicted upon Hiccup in five years._

_Standing over his limp body, she watched his slow and barely visible rise and fall of his chest._

_Wiping the blood that trickled down from her lip, she spat out her next words. " Touch him again, and next time, I _will _kill you. " And she would too, there was no doubt about it._

_She turned around and looked at the Vikings around her._

_Sometime when she had been beating up Snotlout, Vikings had started to watch the scene._

_Their faces held fear and amazement, Ruff, Tuff, and Fishlegs looked horrified, thinking that they were next._

_She sneared at them, making them wince and wait for the beating that Snotlout had gotten, but she started walking towards Hiccup instead._

_Upon seeing her come towards him, he immediately coward in fear and protected his face with his hands on instinct._

_Guilt crawled up her body and sent a chill running down her spine at the sight. Everyone, even herself, had bullied Hiccup his whole life, and he would probably never be free of the mutiny. _

_She held her hand out towards him, when he finally opened his eyes again, they widened in surprise._

_Confusion were like a flame in a fire pit as he looked up at her with a sliver of...hope._

_Again, guilt overcame her._

_Slowly and hesitantly, he took her hand. With unbelievable strength for a Viking her age, she pulled him up with ease, well it could have been because he was practically twig._

_Letting his hand go, Astrid walked over to Snotlout._

_He roused from his unconsciousness as his eyes locked with hers, when they did he scrambled away._

" _Please no-no more. Ple-Please….I'm sorry I'm sorry ok. I'm sorry. " The so called tough Viking boy raised his hands in defeat. _

_Astrid puffed out her chest a little, raising her head and tilting her chin in victory. She looked at all the Vikings around._

_She had won, she was in charge now._

" _Ruff. " At the sound of her name fear crossed the girls face as she wanted nothing more than to disappear, but she didn't move. " Get Hiccup some ice and bring it to his hut. "_

" _Tuff. " The boy stiffened. " Get a bucket, a big one, and bring that to Hiccup's house also. "_

" _And Fishlegs. " The boy looked at her. " Get Gothi, tell her to bring some plants and herbs that will sooth pain. " When she finished the three wasted no time doing what they were told._

_Astrid was their new leader, they listened to _her _now._

_Hiccup had fully healed after that, and him and Astrid had become best friends. No one dared to touch him again._

_Astrid had led the gang for a little while, until Snotlout got really annoying begging for her to give the rank of leader back to him, she did._

_Sure she didn't have have a semi-large group of Vikings to command, but she had Hiccup, and that was enough._

* * *

><p>Oddly enough her complete and utter silence, to him meant that she wanted him to continue, he really needed to work on his observation skills.<p> 


	2. Destined Legends

" Dad-well, you know..my dad. It's just so weird to call him by his name 'cause you know..he's..my..dad " She threw him a glare that said '_stop babbling and tell me what your dad said!'_

" Well..um..he thinks its time you go back to..your hut. " He paused at the word 'your'.

It stabbed her in the heart, the simple truth that her father was dead was in that one small word.

Astrid, in return, just nodded.

Lowering her gaze to the ground, she turned around and started heading towards _her _hut.

Not once did she look back. As she neared her huts entrance she reached for the door handle. When her fingers brushed against it the feeling of the cold metal sent a chill up her spine. She yanked the door opened and stepped inside.

It was dark and gloomy, everything looked gray to her. The stagnant air radiated loneliness as the chill of the nights cold was as thick as fog.

Her eyes narrowed. This was her hut now, but it would always be her families.

She went up to the hand dug fire pit in the middle of the large room, she had placed her father's axe next to the pit before going to the ceremony.

Picking up the axe, it felt weightless as if it would slip through her hands.

The slight dip in the handel and the smooth and worn out surface of the cloth that layered it felt perfect in her hand. The cloth gave her some warmth as the slightly sweet smell of her father stuck to the axe in a neverending bond.

She walked up to her room which was in the second level of the hut, brushing her hand against the side rail of the stairs she made her way to her closed door.

Astrid pushed it open, revealing her room.

Of to the far left corner was her bed all nice and neat. A small desk was to her right just a few feet away from the door as all of her weapons hung on the left wall right next to her, each one held up by a loose nail.

And tucked into the far right corner of the room was a small bathroom. It was a small contraption that you did your business in and turned a knob and the waste or whatever would be flushed somewhere deep in the forest.

Oddly enough the invention had been created by Hiccup. It was one of his rare creations that actually worked.

And last but not least, a small bookshelf stood against the right wall, it was only visible when you walked into the room.

She had never read the books that had been placed there by her father because she had always been too busy practicing or working out until her muscles ached and her body bled.

Astrid looked around the room once more. Repairs had quickly been made to the whole hut, the giant hole was no longer there as the pieces of wood had been cleaned out, probably to be used as spare firewood.

Making her way over to where her weapons hung, she was about to hang her father's axe on a extra nail when she stopped herself. Instead, she walked over to her bed and put it under her pillow.

She made her way back downstairs and went to the farthest room tucked in the far right corner of the hut, that had been her mum's personal study room.

Astrid nor her father had ever been allowed in there, they had respected her mum's wishes, even when she was no longer...with them.

Taking in a deep breath, she opened the door that led to the room.

It was small, very small, and very cramped.

To the right was a small desk, on it were pieces of paper scattered everywhere in a messy yet kind of neat way. But something to her left caught her eye. Walking over to the small and dark corner she knelt down to find a bow and some arrows that were held in a quiver.

The weapon was coated with a thick layer of dust, making it barely visible.

Astrid slowly picked up the old bow and clung to the strap of the quiver that held the arrows, she estimated that there was at least ten, each one stained with the color of gray from being in the dusty room for years.

The weight of the bow and quiver which held the arrows was surprisingly light, and she wondered for a moment how her mother had used it.

Somehow she knew what to do with the weapon, holding it close to her she brought it to her room. She delicately hung it up on the wall, letting the rays of the moon bounce off of the arrowheads and shimmer in a musty glow.

Astrid made her way back down the stairs, passing a barrel of fish on the way. Her stomach growled, it was then that she realized she had not eaten since her fathers death which had been at least six hours ago. She grabbed a fish and stabbed it with a stick that had been resting against the wall.

She sat next to the fire pit, quickly starting a small flame and feeding it sticks that had been piled up against the wall next to her mother's secret room. '_Not so secret anymore.' _The thought entered her mind, and with realization she knew it was true.

When the fish was done cooking she ate the eyeballs first, they were sweet and yet sour in the core, a healthy food to keep up your strength.

After she was done with the fish she started making her way to her room, then she thought about bringing some food with her encase she got hungry and didn't want to make her way down the stairs.

She grabbed a single fish, then she grabbed another just encase, then another, then another, then another, then another, then another, until she put all the fish back into the grass woven barrel and dragged the whole container to her room.

Once inside she set the barrel to the left side of her bed, so when she laid down she could just reach out and get one.

She looked at the barrel, the amount of fish would last her a good month. If she rationed it right the food supply could last her two months.

She walked up to her door and closed it, locking it afterwards with little hesitation. Her father had installed the lock on her door for privacy, he'd been caring like that. Even if it was the smallest matter, he would always listen and care. Then he'd do something to solve the problem.

Astrid walked back to her bed and flung herself face first on the Viking sized sheep fur filled cushion. She turned and laid on her back, looking up at the ceiling.

This was it, she closed her eyes. She didn't want to move, breathe, open her eyes, get up, swallow, she didn't want to do anything. She just wanted to die. To finally be reunited with her mother and father in Valhalla.

She snapped her eyes open. No. She had to move, breathe, open her eyes, get up, swallow, stay alive. She had to. Her parents were warriors and only warriors made it to Valhalla. If she did nothing she wasn't a warrior.

She sat up. Determined to become a warrior so when her time came she would meet her parents in Valhalla. But she found her energy gone, her strength stripped from her. She was weak, and all of the sudden the comforting softness of her sheets wrapped around her and lulled her to sleep.

* * *

><p>Pain. Huh, it seemed to be the only thing she felt these days.<p>

Usually it was the pain of working out and stretching her muscles from the day before. But that pain was always exhilarating, it filled her with giddy joy that forced her awake. This pain was nothing like that pain.

This pain was just that, pain. Sure she had worked out yesterday and the familiar spark of adrenaline was still there, but it was soon crushed by the overwhelming weight of the plain pain that consumed her.

Her body ached to the point where she couldn't move. She felt as if she did she would collapse. Her bones felt fragile and she felt weak, and she hated that, but there wasn't anything she could do about it.

She opened her eyes just a sliver while shading them with her left hand as soon as the sun that seeped through the handmade hole in her roof landed on her. And it just so happened a bright ray of light had been aiming for her eyes.

_'Haha very funny Odin.' _She thought sarcastically as she slowly sat up. _'Jerk.'_

Stretching her arms she let a yawn escape her mouth as she slowly let the knots in her muscles untwine.

She yawned again, surprised at how empty she felt afterwards.

Astrid shook the thought from her head, walking up to the fish barrel next to her bed, she was happy she had thought of bringing it up the other day.

For a second she held the cold, raw, and lifeless fish in her hands as the melted water that frosted around the fish dripped from her hands to the wood floor. How would she cook it?

She put the fish back in the barrel and walked around her room, not sure what she was looking for.

Her mind went blank, then she had an idea.

She walked over to her desk and reached for the hand-pit. A hand-pit was a Viking made mini fire pit that you could hold in your hand like a basket.

Special rocks that Gronckles ate were called Fire Pebbles, If you rubbed two together they'd spark and create a fire. She'd been collecting Fire Pebbles ever since she was little-well, littler.

She'd invented the hand-pit, using the Fire Pebbles to help keep it alight. Hiccup wasn't the only inventure.

She lit the hand-pit and set it on her desk.

Astrid grabbed the same fish and grabbed one of the sticks that had been hidden in a small patch in the barrel, stabbing the fish with the stick. She let the fish cook while holding it over the small fire.

It was slow, but in the end it was worth it.

She brushed her back palm across her mouth and put the stick back so she could use it again after she was done eating.

She did this for days, which turned into weeks, which turned into months.

* * *

><p>She reached for the last fish in her barrel. She had managed to ration the food enough so that it had lasted her for the last two months.<p>

Sometimes the Vikings had tried to give her food, the only problem, they knocked down the door to get in and give it to her.

Yeah, no.

They had tried that a lot, every time she'd be waiting for them, axe sharpened and ready to kill. They'd always chickened out in the end and left.

She pierced the fish with the stick and waited for it to cook, the smell of cooking meat always making her drool.

All the sudden she heard the creaky sound of the front door being opened followed by some grunts.

Astrid rolled her eyes as she set down the fish so that it was still cooking even though she wasn't holding the stick.

She reached for her axe and swung it over her shoulder, standing by her door and waiting for them to break it down, again.

She then heard a knock on her door.

" H-hey uh...A-Astrid? Um...I brought...some food...uh. " Came a low shy voice. She immediately knew who it came from. Hiccup.

She put her axe back on her bed and walked over to the door, stepping loudly so he knew she was in the room.

Minutes passed by, still she didn't open the door. She never would. They had to learn. She wanted to be left alone, die alone if that's what it meant. Everytime she saw a Viking, she saw her father, and she didn't want to, the pain was too much. That was another reason, the pain. She shouldn't feel it, yet she did. It symbolized her as weak, and she was anything but.

" Are you going to open the door or...what? " Hiccup asked hesitantly.

She wanted so much to call out to him, to answer her best friend, but that was just it, she didn't. She didn't want to talk, with all her heart, her snarled, ruined heart, she wanted to stay silent. And that's what scared her.

Hours later she stood there, and so did he. He was more stubborn than she thought.

" Look, I brought food, it's a little cold but whatever...goodbye. " She waited until the soft sound of his footsteps had faded until she opened the door. And there on the ground was a mug full of water and a plate filled with food. He'd lied, the food was still steaming.

She took the plate and mug in her hands and shut the door behind her, looking at her fish on the stick she found it was burnt to a crisp as the small fire had died out.

She sat on her bed and ate the food, savoring the rich taste of the fish and dried rice. When she was done she washed it down with the water in one huge gulp.

She threw the burnt fish out the window, stick still impaled into its body.

She sat on her bed, doing nothing. Looking over at her bookshelf, the dusty and torn books seeming to draw her near. She shrugged as she walked over to the bookshelf and pulled out a random book, it's not like she had anything better to do.

She sat on the wooden chair next to her desk and started to read.

It seemed as if she had just turned the first page when another knock sounded on her door, she looked up from her book and closed it, but she didn't get up.

" Hey...I uh...brought dinner. Sorry about forgetting lunch. " It was Hiccup again.

She looked at her window and to her surprise saw pitch black instead of clear blue skies. But then where had the light she'd been using to read come from?

She looked over at the hand-pit that rested on her desk, the coals still burning bright enough to fill the room with a orange aura.

She heard the sound of a objects being set on the ground as Hiccup's footsteps faded. Just as she was about to open the door she heard his voice.

" Your dad's death...it's hard I know. And people might say they understand your pain when they really don't, but know...I know. You can always talk to me, don't try and hide it, I did. And eventually it just…" There was a long silence as she began to think he had left until he spoke again. " I'll be back to give you breakfast. " Then he left.

This time she waited a few minutes before she opened the door and picked up the still hot food.

As she ate she opened up the book and began to read as she then felt the heavy weight of sleep take over.

It had been exactly one years since she'd first stepped into her hut and never came out.

Everyday Hiccup came and gave her breakfast, then a few hours later he'd give her lunch, then dinner.

Today was just like that, so far.

She heard the familiar three knock then pause then knock pattern on her door as Hiccup's voice seeped through the cracks in her door.

" Morning Astrid, got breakfast. " She listen to him set down the mug and plate as she then listen to him walk away.

She finally looked up from her book that she had read over twenty times as she went to get her food.

When she had finished eating she walked over to her desk and got out one of her charcoal pencils. She got out a piece of paper and started to draw.

Whenever she needed something she slid a piece of paper through the door saying what she needed. When she had one piece of paper left she wrote on it that she needed paper. She asked for stuff, but not a lot.

Hiccup was always generous and gave her what she needed in a heartbeat, he'd always go over the top and give her something for her birthday.

Her birthday, which she hadn't celebrated for a whole year.

She looked over at the amazingly beautiful axe that hung on her wall.

Mahogany handling, silk cloth around the handle, razor sharp axehead, and he'd even purposely chipped it so it looked like she'd used it in battle. But she never had.

She'd never been outside to use it, even during raids. She'd always listen to the shout, hollers, screeches, and screams. But always being on high alert to see if she could catch the sound of a squack.

After her father's death she'd become obsessed with the beasts. She'd memorized the moves that they liked to do when fighting like how they frequently turned around and shot out spikes, the fact that they split into two groups while one got food and the others protected them, and even the rate on which how fast their tail spikes grew back, and everything else about them.

She wanted to know every strong suit about them, so she knew exactly what their weaknesses were.

She wanted to kill the creatures that had killed her father, but she didn't. She stayed in the hut and read, despite the noise around her.

She shook her head and continued reading the book, feeling dull excitement rise as she neared her favorite part.

Hours later she heard knocks on her door and readied herself to hear Hiccup's words.

" Not only do I have lunch for you, I have a book. "

At this she perked up.

She had never really liked books, but that was before she'd read after her first two months of locking herself in her room.

Now she had found that she had a real interest in books, especially if they were good.

" Hope you enjoy it, It's a sketchbook that I got from Trader Yohon. "

Astrid's excitement diminished a little at this, It's not that she didn't like to draw, but that was more Hiccup's thing. She preferred reading over drawing.

She could hear the loud _thunk_ of the book hitting the ground. A loud thunk meant it had to be big.

She listened as his footsteps faded.

Walking towards the door, she lightly threw it open, the outcome being the door slamming against the wall not to hard but not too lightly.

Shrugging it off she reached for the food and set it on her desk as she then went back to pick up the book.

It had a plain brown cover as layers of dust coated it. It had to be at least a century old due to the worn away pieces of cloth and the crumpled corners on the book.

She slowly reached down to pick it up, brushing her fingers against it she felt a shiver run up her spine.

Astrid took the book in her hands. As soon as she did the book seemed to shift.

The cover went from old dull brown to a pitch black as the brown seemed to be quickly consumed by black. The black was shiny and sleek, as she looked at it closely she noticed small dragon scale patterns on the cover that hadn't been there before. Then slowly appeared some words and four pictures.

In the middle formed the Norse symbols that made up the words 'Destined Legends' in a dark purple color.

On the top left corner the image of a Chinese Dragon appeared. The dragon was curled up in a ball as if shielding itself from something. Slowly it took the color of pure gold that seemed to glow. The jaws of the dragon were open, as if it was caught in a moment where it was about to snap at something.

On the top right hand corner appeared another Chinese Dragon. This dragon started from the corner and made its way to the center of the book so that it was resting on the word 'Destined'. Its jaws were also open. Slowly the dark color of light cyan blue consumed the dragon.

On the bottom right hand corner appeared a third Chinese Dragon. This one was laying down, its tail wrapped around itself as its head rested on its tail. It mouth was also open, though it looked like it was yawning more than going for the kill. It slowly took the color of pure green.

On the bottom left hand corner of the book a fourth Chinese Dragon took shape. The dragon had its back arched as if it were cat, ready to go for the kill. Its head was turned so that it faced her, eyes blazing and jaws opened wide. Dark red consumed the dragon, making it look like its victim's blood was coating it in a second skin of death.

Then the cover glimmered and Norse symbols appeared in each of the dragons open jaws.

In the golden dragon's jaws appeared a symbol that read 'Air'. In the light cyan blue dragon's jaws another symbol appeared, it read 'Ice'. The green Chinese Dragon held the Norse symbol that read 'Earth'. And last but not least the death red dragon glimmered and a Norse symbol appeared in its jaws, the symbol read 'Fire'.

Astrid was now interested.

Hiccup said it had been a sketchbook, did he lie to her?

She shook her head as she carefully opened the book and flipped to the first page.

It was blank.

So Hiccup hadn't been lying? Had he not really gotten the book from Trader Yohon and made it himself? But if he made it himself how had he managed to get the cover to change colors and textures?

All of the sudden the book began to glow a dark purple color as she could feel the cover burning her hands. The light disappeared and the heat on her hands seized as she could feel the hum and buzz the glowing light had left in the air.

She shook her head and looked down at the book filled with...words. But that couldn't be right. Something was definitely wrong with the book.

Walking over to her desk she made a move to put the book down, but she hesitated. Something was pulling her towards the book, as if the words were taunting her, whispering secrets in her ears before she could even read the Norse symbols.

Taking in a deep breath, she walked over to her bed with the book in hand and stared at the symbols, carefully reading each one of them.

_**Air, Ice, Earth, Fire.**_

_'Wow. So entertaining.' _She couldn't help but deadpan her thoughts after reading the first line. But she read on.

_**The one who reads the words,**_

_**The one who ties the bonds,**_

_**Controller of all four,**_

_**Be the one.**_

Well that wasn't mysterious in a seriously creepy way, no, not at all. But she couldn't help but admit she was a little bit more than slightly intrigued. So she continued to read.

_**Find the Freedom Searcher,**_

_**Controller of Air.**_

_**Find the Land Lover,**_

_**Owner of Earth.**_

She reread those four lines. Freedom Searcher? Land Lover? What kind of book was this?

_**Find the Gentle Sister,**_

_**Owner of Fire.**_

_**Find the Insecure Sibling,**_

_**Bender of Ice.**_

_**Find the four,**_

_**Sisters of Five.**_

She raised her eyebrow slightly. She looked over the book cover and the inside of the cover, hoping to find the Author, when she couldn't after looking for at least twenty minutes she gave up.

Well whoever the Author was, they wrote a seriously messed up book.

But despite the growing questions, she read on.

_**Once found,**_

_**Learn to use the gifts bestowed.**_

_**Read the text on and find answers,**_

_**But not all.**_

_**As one the chosens must find the creatures born with the gifts.**_

_**And learn how to control what you have to use it against an evil.**_

_**Train and as one you will become one with each element, but only you.**_

_**Stack the text when the world calls for the five.**_

_**Each one holding a letter that makes a word.**_

_**Read on,**_

_**Learn the way,**_

_**Find the Sisters of four.**_

_**Find the teachers,**_

_**Save the world.**_

She turned the page, only to find it was blank except for a couple sentences at the top.

_**What once was invisible will show. **_

_**Let go of anger and hate.**_

_**Believe and Trust,**_

_**Astrid.**_

Astrid's eyes went wide as she slammed the book shut and jumped up from her bed, letting the book fall to the ground.

Why had her name been in there? How?

She shook her head. This definitely had to be Hiccup's doing. How and why would he play such a cruel trick on her? She didn't know, but she was going to kill him!

The familiar knock pattern sounded on her door and she walked over to it, being careful to make sure she didn't step on the book, or within five feet of it for that matter.

" Hey uh Astrid...I have your dinner. " Hiccup's sweet and so dead voice reached her ears just as she had made her way over to her desk instead of the door. She grabbed a piece of paper and a charcoal pencil and scribbled some Norse writing on it, slipping it under the door when she was done.

She waited a couple seconds before the same paper was slipped back under the door. She read his answer after rereading her own question.

Astrid: _How did you make the book?_

Hiccup: _What do you mean?_

She looked at his response. 'What do you mean?'? What did he mean by 'What do you mean?'? She scribbled back an answer.

Astrid: _You know, the cover and the pictures and stuff. How'd you do it? And how'd you get my name in the book?_

Hiccup: _I don't know what you mean. I just got it from Trader Yohon and he said it was a sketchbook._

She wrote back an answer, this time making sure it didn't look like a two year old was trying to write a sentence.

Astrid: _I knew that, just messing with you._

She slipped it under the door and listened as Hiccup laughed, yelling back. " Good one Astrid, you really had me there for a second. "

He wasn't lying, she knew that. But if he hadn't made the book, then who had?

The pictures and riddles were unbelievable, only Hiccup had the slightest chance of making it. But he hadn't.

So that begged the question even more, who'd made it? And how'd her name get put in the book.

" Gotta go, I'll be back tomorrow. " Came Hiccup's voice, then he was gone.

She sat there for what felt like hours, slowly, she then picked herself up. She walked over to her bed and carefully picked up the book.

Flipping it open she reread every sentence until she could say it backwards without looking at the Norse symbols.

So apparently she had to find these four girls The Freedom Searcher, Land Lover, Gentle Sister, and The Insecure Sibling.

Yeah...the Author didn't think too much on naming the 'Four Sisters' or whatever.

She closed the book and rested her head against the end board if her bed. Should she search for the Four Sisters and The Teachers? What was she thinking?! It was just a stupid book written by a stupid Author who was crazy in the head to Thor knows what extent. It was just a book.

Was it just a book?

Of course it was!

She threw the book across the room in frustration, guilt making her stomach flip-flop as soon as the sound of it hitting the ground reached her ears.

She let her back slide against the wall as she sat on the ground with a silent _thunk_, curling up into a ball as she hugged her knees close to her, hiding her face as her blonde hair covered her face.

She sat like that for hours, the slow rise and fall of her chest the only movement she allowed.

Opening her eyes she looked at the book that was wide open on the other side of her room, she got up and walked over to it. She looked at the cover, running her hands over the scaly design and caressing the pages ever so softly.

Astrid's interest had been officially perked and she knew she wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. So she started to prepare.

Over the years Hiccup had given her some supplies or just random stuff to keep her entertained, it was finally time to put those things to use.

She walked over to her bed and grabbed a huge satchel out from under it, Hiccup had thought this would be useful to her, it never had been until that very moment.

She walked over to her desk and the fish basket next to it. Bucket, the Village's weather warning system had predicted that there was going to be a huge storm later that week, so Hiccup had brought her some food encase he couldn't bring her food. So thoughtful.

She opened her satchel and started packing as much fish as she could in it, surprisingly she could stuff a lot into the huge bag since Hiccup had made sure it had lots of pockets and small secret patches, each one big enough to hold a fish. It also helped that the satchel was so huge, it could probably hold a baby Gronckle.

When she was done she had succeeded in stuffing at least half of the barrel into the small bag.

After setting the satchel under her desk, she walked over to her bed and pulled out another satchel. Hiccup must have really thought she needed satchels, but she was thankful.

She looked at the small bag and walked around her room, looking for what precious items she would take.

When she was done the items in her satchel were her sketchbook that Hiccup had given her, all her charcoal pencils, a map of Berk that she had...uh...borrowed, a burgundy headband that she had never worn, the metal skull belt Hiccup had made and given to her for her birthday, a spare pair of moccasin boots, a wad of wrappings, and a dagger.

She then grabbed the huge satchel along with the smaller one and placed them both on her bed. Pausing for a moment, she walked over to her wall of weapons.

She picked up the razor sharp battle axe Hiccup had made her and placed it on her bed, along with two other daggers she had taken.

She walked over to her wall of weapons once more and picked up her mum's bow and arrow filled quiver.

She slowly dusted off the weapons, along with the bow and quiver. When she was done she nodded with satisfaction and reached under her pillow, pulling out her father's axe. She looked at the weapons, the only things she had left of her parents.

She walked over to her desk and reached into one of the drawers, pulling out a neatly folded set of clothes.

Unlike all her other gifts, this one wasn't from Hiccup. It was from Ruffnut. They had kind of been friends, not really, but Ruffnut had given her the clothes, she didn't know why but she did. It was a nice, thoughtful gift, something the twins rarely gave, but once she'd made sure there was no explosives attached, she'd taken them, though not actually stepping outside of her hut in the process.

She put the clothes on her bed, looking at all the items that now covered it.

She shook her head as she let out a long sigh, time to get to work.

Astrid changed from her normal wolf skin clothes and black leggings into the clothes Ruffnut gave her, luckily they were just her size.

When she was done she reached into the small satchel and pulled out the burgundy head band and the skull belt.

She put on the skull belt and found out that it closed by two pieces of metal clicking together to shut it.

She grabbed her and her father's axe, attaching them to the small crevices that Hiccup had put on the sides of the belt, allowing it to hold weapons.

She then started to braid her hair, ending with the surprisingly neat braid resting on her left shoulder as her long bangs covered her left eye. When she was done she reached for the headband and secured it onto her head, making it overlap all her hair except her bangs.

After that, she picked up the huge satchel and let one strap rest against her neck as the actual satchel part of it rested against her right side, the same going for the small satchel except it rested against her left side.

With the satchels securely on her she reached down and picked up her mum's bow. She let her thumb slowly caress the handle as the scent of wood and smoke drifted from the bow.

She shifted the bow to her left hand as she then picked up the quiver and threw it on her back, the strap holding tight and keeping the quiver pressed against her back.

The quiver had, had a small clip on the lid attached to it so the arrows wouldn't fall out, she'd made sure to close it so the she wouldn't lose any of her mum's precious arrows.

She then walked over to her desk and picked up the 'sketchbook' from her desk and placed it into her small satchel, clipping the satchel shut when it was safety inside. She also made sure the huge satchel was closed, no need for her food to spill out.

Last but not least, she walked over to a bare spot on her wall, anyone wouldn't have thought anything of it, but she knew better, she knew what was inside.

She dug her fingernails into the sliver like slit in the wall, pulling it open like a small door. Inside resting against the inside of her hut was a dust covered mask.

She'd knew she'd need it one day, though why was something she'd always waited for time to reveal.

She pulled out the mask, shutting the small door when she was done.

She dusted off the mask and looked at it for the first time in a year.

It was just the right size, the sides coming inwards so that it even covered the sides of her face. On the back was a strong leather string that almost never snapped and was used a lot for under armor suits. But what really caught her eyes were the designs she had painted when she had made the mask.

It was the face of a Deadly Nadder, but not just any, the one who had killed her father. The face was a transfixing light cyan blue with bright yellow and light green scattered everywhere, her carved in designs of Nadder scales making the mask look real. On the top were a smaller version of Deadly Nadder head spikes, the one in the middle being the largest. She'd made the spikes by using wood and painting it, yes it made the mask a little heavy when she wore it but it was so worth it in the end. The one thing she was very proud of was the eyes. She had made the eyes out of cloth so she could see through them, but she'd stitched the eyes in different colors so the eyes would look exactly like the Deadly Nadder's.

She put the mask on, looking in a small mirror on her desk when she was done.

She had on a short sleeve light and dark blue horizontal striped shirt with matching blue leggings and light brown moccasin boots. She had on her metal skull belt, her father's axe clipped to the right side as hers was clipped on the left. Her mask covered her whole face, her bangs the only hair not covered by it, meaning the left eye of the Deadly Nadder mask was covered. Her satchels were on securely and the quiver was strapped on so it wouldn't fall while the clip lid was shut. Everything was perfect, she looked at her mum's bow in her hand. Perfect.

She walked over to her desk as she pulled out a sheet of paper and a charcoal pencil, scribbling a note to a certain Heir before she slid it under the door.

He would read it in the morning, and by then, she'd be long gone.

She dragged her chair so that it was under her window, stepping on the chair, she pulled herself out of her hut and out of the safety it granted.

The sky was pitch black, all except for a few stars that twinkled in the night sky, winking down on her as she began her quest that would last for who knows how long.

She dropped down from her roof, landing on the lush grass without a sound, being her size and all her training had paid off.

As soon as she landed she immediately looked around to make sure no one had seen her, not wanting to be caught.

She got up from her crouched position and started walking towards the woods when she suddenly stopped, turning around she suddenly walked towards the Village.

She crept up beside one of the huts, making sure her mask was on tight before walking into the dark, deserted Village.

She made sure to keep close to the walls of the hut, pressing herself against the wood homes whenever she heard a sound or felt something off, slowly but surely making her way to the forge.

She entered the small house-like hut, the smell of burnt wood, metal, and ash filling her nose and clogging her throat as soon as she stepped in.

She carefully made her way to the back of the room, cautiously, making sure she didn't step on any tools or bump into anything, determined to make it look as if she were never there in the first place.

When she reached the back of the room she was met with a brown, scorched, and worn out looking curtain, the only thing separating her from getting into Hiccup's private room.

She whisked the curtain aside with a flick of her wrist, walking in with only the slightest sparks of guilt tugging at her.

She walked in, her eyes widening in amazement at the sight before her.

Tucked into the wall opposite of her was a small desk. Papers, drawings, and scribbled Norse writing coating the sheets that practically overcame the small desk, the small workspace barely visible under the heaps of paper.

The walls were littered with drawings and writings as each one was held on the wall by a loose nail.

She started walking into the room, careful not to step on any of the papers which truth be told, wasn't easy.

Astrid stopped walking when her eyes landed on a small box, on the box was a perfect engraving of a Norse Word. She brushed her hand over the word and looked at it, pulling back when she read it.

Astrid.

She read the Norse Word again, eyes widening once she realized she wasn't seeing things. How and why, was her name carved into the chest?

She slowly opened the chest, the excitement in her eyes dimming once she saw a note on top of whatever was under it.

She picked up the letter and read the neat Norse writing.

Dear Me,

Don't forget to give these to Astrid on her next Birthday.

Don't make any upgrades, it's perfect.

Remember to polish them before giving them to her.

One last thing, don't forget to tell her.

She frowned. Tell her what? Shaking her head she put the not aside and looked at what was really under the note, the excitement in her eyes coming back when she realized what she was looking at.

In the fair sized chest were skull emblazoned shoulder pads and a burgundy spiked skirt with another plain, flat burgundy skirt to go under it. The spiked skirt looked like leather and was thicker than the flat skirt, it had gaps in between them so that the wearer could move around more.

She reached for the skirts and shoulder pads, quickly pulling back when she felt guilt start to gnaw at her insides.

Could she really just take these, should she? Well, they were meant for her but still.

Taking in a deep breath she pulled out the shoulder pads and skirts. She reached for a piece of paper and started writing a note to Hiccup.

She put the note in the chest and put the chest back where it had originally been, trying to ignore the thought of turning back.

She made her way back to her house and crept inside, making her way up to her room and putting the spiked skirt and shoulder pads on. When she was done, she had a little trouble moving, not being used to all the weight.

Astrid made her way over to her door and picked up the note she'd wrote to Hiccup and crumpling it before picking up another piece of paper and starting over, pushing it under the door once she was done.

After she was done she jumped out her window again and made her way over to the docks, being careful to stick to the shadows and hide behind buildings and bushes.

When she got to the docks she walked up to a small row boat, stepping into it and resting her satchels in it so that she no longer had to hold up all that weight.

She sat down, catching a breath for a second before looking out to the sea and then back to her Village, her home. Berk. She'd been there her whole life and now she was just...walking away.

She shook her head and looked away. It was for the best. Well actually it was just because she'd started getting a weird feeling when she'd read the words in the book. But whatever.

She took a deep breath and started rowing after untying the boat from the docks.


	3. Sisters Of Four

Hiccup walked up to Astrid's room, shifting the warm plate from hand to hand, not wanting to burn himself.

He knocked and waited for the familiar sound of her shuffling around. But the sound never came, _she..._ never came.

He looked down at his feet, for the first time noticing the piece of paper that rested a couple inches in front of him.

He set the plate down and crouched down, reaching for the note and carefully reading the Norse Words that were neatly written across the sheet.

Dear Hiccup,

I'm going to be gone for a while, don't worry, I'll come back, I just don't know when.

The sketch book you gave me, It wasn't really a sketch book.

It had hidden writings and something in it made me leave.

I've gone on a journey to search for a few people who I'm _destined _to meet.

Hiccup, please don't tell anyone I've left. Bring food to my room everyday and just eat it yourself then leave, but please, don't tell anyone.

I'm trusting you.

Don't come and look for me either.

I mean it Haddock. Leave me be, and one day I'll come back.

I may be gone for months, most likely years, but I will come back. I promise. Bye.

He couldn't believe it, she'd...left. He started to get up, determined to find her. But then he reread her words. _I'm trusting you._ He looked away in defeat. If she didn't want to be found then so be it.

He would do what she asked, for her.

Hiccup sat down, slowly eating her warm meal before getting up and walking towards the forge.

Gobber was with his dad so when he walked in, the forge was empty.

He went to the small room to the back of the forge and threw the curtain door open with a huff.

He walked over to a specific chest he had hid under his desk and pulled it out, sighing when he ran his hands over the Norse Word he'd carved onto it.

He opened it up, Surprised to find it empty and a note that wasn't his the only thing inside. He started to hyperventilate, running his hands through his hair as he muttered under his breath, scolding himself for being so stupid as to not hide it better.

But then he stopped, looking at the note and reading it carefully when he'd calmed down.

Dear Hiccup,

I've taken the shoulder pads and skirts that were supposively meant for me.

I'm so sorry for taking them but I wanted to see your small room that you always talk about and then I saw the chest with my name on it.

How you can make such amazing and beautiful crafted inventions I'll never know.

Thank you for the gift Hiccup, and I'll be using them wisely, making sure not to get a scratch on them.

I really should be leaving now Hiccup, I'm sorry for saying goodbye again, but I have to.

I never told you this but, I always looked forward to you bringing me food, not because of the food but because of the time we would spend together.

I'm leaving and I probably won't come back for a few years, but don't worry, I promise I'll come back. No matter what.

Goodbye Hiccup.

Oh and, tell me what?

I want the answer by the time I get back.

He looked at the paper, turning it over to make sure there wasn't more on the back. When he found there wasn't he sighed. A few years? He wouldn't last that long, not without her.

He'd been planning to tell her he liked her when he'd give her the shoulder pads and skirts but that plan was busted.

He smiled at the fact that she'd been able to get them before she left. His smiled faltered at the thought.

How would he make it without her?

He sat back and let his head rest against the wooden wall behind him, breathing in the scent of ash and fire.

He wouldn't.

* * *

><p>A four year old Rapunzel looked at the stars, gasping in glee as she watched the lanterns float into the air. The fact that it was her birthday made it even more special.<p>

She sighed, maybe one day she could see the lanterns from a place other than the Tower.

_'Someday.' _And with that thought, she drifted off to sleep.

" Oh Rapunzel! Look what I got you! "

Rapunzel was awoken at the sound of her mother's voice. She yawned, stretching her small arms as she turned to face her mother's smiling face.

Her eyes landed on the book in her mother's hand.

" You're always painting the walls and such so I went into town and got you a sketch book for your Birthday yesterday. "

Rapunzel smiled, taking the sketch book and running to her room as she yelled a thank you to her mom.

She plopped onto her bed and actually looked at the sketch book, gasping when it started to shift.

The cover and back turned black, some kind of scaly design taking place on the sleek cover as the black consumed the worn brown.

Words appeared in the middle of the book, she read them. 'Destined Legends' it read, She cocked her head in confusion. The words weren't written in her language but for some reason, she could understand them.

A picture then started to appear on the top right corner of the book's cover.

It was a Chinese Dragon.

The dragon was a light blue, its eyes seeming to be an intelligent dark cyan blue. It was just sitting there, its wings wrapped around itself.

On the top left corner of the cover another Chinese Dragon appeared.

This one was blood red. Its back was arched as its wings were spread out, its nostrils flaring as its eyes held the look of murder. She looked closer and saw that the eyes were actually a dark green. How?

Another Chinese Dragon appeared in the middle of the bottom half of the book. The dragon was a pure gold, its eyes made of a amber kid of color. It was just sitting there on its haunches, seemingly just looking at her.

Another Chinese Dragon appeared, but this one was perches atop the words 'Destined Legends'.

This dragon was a deep green, it's eyes seemingly reflecting her own. It had it's tail wrapped around itself, its wings spread out slightly.

The words 'Destined Legends' turned a dark purple.

The book started to glow, the bright light burning her hands. She dropped the book, a pain filled gasp slipping past her lips.

The book then stopped glowing.

The first thing she noticed was that the Dragons were different, in their mouth they each held a Norse symbol.

The red one held 'Fire' and the blue one held 'Ice'. The gold one held 'Air' as the green one held 'Earth'.

She cautiously walked up to the pitch black book and picked it up, flipping the page to the first one.

_**Air, Ice, Earth, Fire.**_

_**The one who reads the words,**_

_**The one who makes up the bond,**_

_**Controller of Earth, be the one.**_

Rapunzel frowned. Weird.

_**Find the Freedom Searcher,**_

_**Controller of Air.**_

_**Find the Gentle Sister,**_

_**Owner of Fire.**_

_**Find the Insecure Sibling,**_

_**Bender of Ice.**_

_'Yeah no biggie, just find the Freedom Searcher, Gentle Sister, and Insecure Sibling, right.' _Rapunzel thought, rolling her eyes.

_**Find the Controller of Four,**_

_**Binder of the Bond.**_

_**Let her lead you,**_

_**four sisters by your side.**_

_**Once found,**_

_**Learn to use the gifts bestowed.**_

_**Read the text on and find answers,**_

_**But not all.**_

_**As one the chosens must find the creatures born with the gifts.**_

_**And learn how to control what you have to use it against an evil.**_

_**Stack the text when the world calls for the five.**_

_**Each one holding a letter that makes a word.**_

_**Read on,**_

_**Learn the way,**_

_**Find the Sisters of four.**_

_**Find the teachers,**_

_**Save the world.**_

Save the world? Sisters of four? She shook her head and turned the page, only to find it blank except for a few sentences at the top. She read on.

_**Find the truth by finding four,**_

_**Feel the land, bond with the half you miss.**_

_**Take a risk and leap off the ledge,**_

_**Of the Tower you call home.**_

_**But is really a prison.**_

Her eyes widened as a stifled gasp made its way from her mouth. How was that possible, how'd they know she was in a Tower?

She looked around, suddenly feeling as if someone unknown was watching her from afar.

She clutched the book close to her chest and looked around, slowly getting off from her bed and making her way over to her desk, sitting on the small wood chair.

She opened the book once again, rereading the words, each time a shiver running up and down her spine.

" Rapunzel! "

She almost screamed, jumping at least three feet in the air before she made sure she wasn't going to have a heart attack.

" Y-yes? " She answered back, her voice cracking slightly as she took deep breaths to calm her pounding heart.

" I'm going out and won't be back for a few weeks, ok? "

Rapunzel nodded, then remembering her mom was downstairs she called back, " Ok. "

She could hear her mother moving around as then all was quiet.

It was always like that, her mom would leave for weeks at a time then come back with food and supplies. She never stayed in the Tower for more than a few days.

She never let her leave with her, claiming that the outside world was a dangerous place for a young girl like herself. Especially when she had magical hair that could renew someones youth.

Her mother always told her the story of how someone once tried to cut off her hair to keep the magic for themselves, but once it was cut the magic died and her hair turned a dark auburn brown.

Rapunzel reached behind her ear and pulled out the short strand of brown hair, she shivered as she tucked it back behind her ear.

Even if the book was real and was telling the truth, she couldn't leave, not if people were always trying to steal her magical hair.

She narrowed her eyes. But maybe if she left, she could finally see the lanterns. She smiled and nodded to herself.

She would leave as soon as possible.

She jumped off her bed and pulled a small satchel out from under her bed. Walking around her room she started grabbing her valuables, which wasn't much.

In the end her satchel was full of a comb, her paints, a small sketch book, a extra pair of clothes, some feather pencils, some ink, and the black book.

She went down stairs, then filled her satchel with fruits and canteens of water. She didn't know how long she was going to be gone, but she wanted to be prepared.

When she was done she took one last look at her home, and then walked down a secret staircase her mother had made to go outside.

When she reached the bottom she hesitated before stepping onto the grass, it was so soft and refreshing she couldn't help but smile. Soon she was giggling and dancing around as she splashed in small puddles.

She was about to leave through the exit she watched her mother leave through before a slight flicker of movement caught her eye, she turned around, fear nagging at her.

" W-who's there, I demand you show yourself. "

No answer.

Then all of a sudden she felt something crawl up her arm, she screamed and wiggled around, landing on the ground.

On her face appeared a small chameleon, its big brown eyes looking down at her in confusion and curiosity.

She smiled as the fear was quickly replaced by glee. She stood up and cupped the small chameleon in her hands, looking down at it as it seemed to smile at her.

It then jumped up from her hand and landed on her shoulder, smiling at her in a comforting way she'd never felt before.

" I'm going to name you Pascal. " She said, scratching the lizard-like creature under his chin.

It seemed to approvingly nod at the name, she smiled and made her way out of the exit and into the unforgiving woods.

Only now, she wasn't alone.

* * *

><p>A four year old Merida groaned as she screamed into the pillow, all the frustration that had been building up that day being let out through her ear splitting scream that only she could give.<p>

She turned around and looked up at her ceiling, turning to look through the window and at the vast forest she long to stroll through.

She was the Princess of the Dunbruch Clan, meaning she needed to have manners and act like a proper lady or whatever.

But she didn't want to act like a lady, she wanted to be free. To search to the forest on her foal's back and shoot her arrow.

But no, it was always sit up straight, sign this, chew with your mouth closed, no weapons on the table, put your hair in a bun, and clean up after yourself.

She hated it, all the rules and restrictions. Sure the Castle was huge and what she called home, but time after time the securing walls started to feel like a prison cell, locking her away and destining her to a fate of royalty.

She sat up and made her way over to her book shelf, pulling out a sketchbook that she'd never used, as soon as she touched it, it began to shift.

Merida dropped the book and watched as a sleek black consumed the once old and wrinkly brown cover. The new cover had a weird design to it, a design that she knew seemed familiar but couldn't put a finger on it.

Two dark purple words than formed in the middle book, she realized they were written in Norse. Luckily her family was part Viking and part civilized, so she knew how to speak and read Norse words.

It read 'Destined Legends'.

On the top left corner and top right a Chinese Dragon appeared.

The one on the left was dark blood red and the one on the right was an icy light blue. The red one had its back arched and drool dripped from its chins. its eyes ablaze with hatred and anger. The light blue one sat calmly on its haunches, its tail resting on its two front paws.

In the middle of the bottom part of the book appeared a single Chinese Dragon, this one was forest green. It was curled in a ball as its head rested on its paws, yawning.

A last Chinese Dragon appeared, this one resting on the purple words 'Destined Legends'.

This Dragon was seemingly walking ontop of the words, looking at her with a knowing gaze.

Suddenly the dragons shimmered and inside the Dragon's mouth were single Norse symbols.

The green one held the word 'Earth' as the red one held the word 'Fire' and the blue one held the word 'Ice'. The gold one was holding the Norse symbol that read 'Air'.

She brushed her hand over the cover and opened the book, reading the Norse Words that were inside.

_**Air, Ice, Earth, Fire.**_

_**The one who reads the words,**_

_**The one who makes up the bond,**_

_**Controller of Air, be the one.**_

She looked at the words, confusion making its way to her brain. Was it saying that _she _was the controller of Air?

Merida looked at her bow and arrows that were held in a small quiver, narrowing her eyes in concentration as she looked over every curve and notch.

She shrugged, it made sense.

_**Find the Land Lover,**_

_**Owner of Earth.**_

_**Find the Gentle Sister,**_

_**Controller of Fire.**_

_**Find the Insecure Sibling,**_

_**Bender of Ice.**_

_**Find the Controller Of Four,**_

_**Binder of the Bond.**_

_**Let her lead you,**_

_**four sisters by your side.**_

Land Lover? Gentle Sister? Insecure Sibling? She shook her head, the Author was insane. But she read on.

_**Once found,**_

_**Learn to use the gifts bestowed.**_

_**Read the text on and find answers,**_

_**But not all.**_

_**As one the chosens must find the creatures born with the gifts.**_

_**And learn how to control what you have to use it against an evil.**_

_**Stack the text when the world calls for the five.**_

_**Each one holding a letter that makes a word.**_

_**Read on,**_

_**Learn the way,**_

_**Find the Sisters of Four.**_

_**Find the teachers,**_

_**Save the world.**_

Wait, save the world? Sisters of Four? She turned the page with excitement practically zig-zagging out her fingertips. She looked at the blank page bewildered, there were only a few sentences at the top. She read them.

_**Find the Freedom you so desire,**_

_**Leave on your steed of only a foul.**_

_**Travel the world and search the forest.**_

_**In search of the Sisters of Four,**_

_**Your family not by blood,**_

_**But by bond.**_

_**Know them not, know them you will.**_

_**Leave the Castle.**_

_**Heir of Dunbruch. **_

Her eyes widened, only this time, in excitement.

She grabbed one of her many satchels as she raced around her room, stuffing her belongings into the small pack.

When she was done her satchel held the book, her sketchbook, charcoal pencils, an extra set of clothes, materials for making arrows, the tools she used to fix her bow when it broke, a carving tool, extra string, and all the fruits she could fit into it.

She went to her bed and started tying her sheets into a long string as she used whatever she could find to make it longer.

When she was done she tied one end of it to her bed and threw the other out her barred windows.

Sure the windows were barred, but she could fit through with her very small form.

Merida grabbed her bow and quiver filled with arrows and rested them against the wall next to her window.

When she managed to squeeze through she reached in and pulled her weapon out, quickly followed by her grabbing her quiver.

She slung the quiver over her back and did the same with her satchel, when she was done she looked down, taking a deep breath she gripped the line of cloth and slid down.

Her hands didn't burn as she slid down due to the sheets being made of cotton and cloth so when she reached the ground, she was unscathed.

She silently crawled to the stables and grabbed her fouls saddle. She walked up to her horse and placed her hand on his nose.

" Hey Angus. " She whispered silently, Angus' ears perking up at the sound of her voice. He let out a slight neigh.

He was a powerful shire horse. His ivory muzzle and fetlocks stood out against his black coat. She looked into his black eyes, amber slightly shining in the dark depths as sunlight bounced off his glassy orbs. He looked at her, his stance and eyes holding nothing but stubborn loyalty.

She smiled at him and she softly crooned and praised him while putting on his saddle and mounting him, giving his right side a slight tap, they set out.

The forest was a green blur as the wind whipped past her, barely having time to whisper the world's secrets into her ear as she practically flew through the woods.

Her Island was technically an island, but there was a thin piece of land that led to unowned territory that was filled with mysterious woods.

When Angus and her reached the sliver like land piece she smiled and Angus shook his head and slightly bucked, neighing with nervousness.

She smiled and tapped his side again, disappearing into the dark woods that were said to be home to vicious beasts.

* * *

><p>Elsa sat up as a knock sounded on her door, perking up at the sound of her father's gentle voice.<p>

" It's time to go to the Library, for that book you said you wanted. "

Elsa stood up straight and locked her hands together in a formal manner, slipping into her Princess stature.

As she walked towards the door she felt her magic slip through her fingertips and frost the door knob. She quickly pulled back.

She could feel her heart clenching, the sharp fangs of fear sinking into her flesh as she stood tall, her face stoic and her eyes glazing over with the sharp tips of ice.

She could feel her magic taking over her body, consuming her and leaving her numb as the guilt subsided and left her emotionless, the only feeling being determination to protect anyone and everyone from her icy magic. Especially her little sister, Anna.

Elsa never had understood it, the overwhelming urge to protect her sister and let her grow up in the illusion that life was perfect. Everyday she'd walk by her side, play with Anna in the false attempt to make sure the outside world didn't harm her precious sister in any way.

The feeling was almost deadly, the hate and anger she held every time a disappointed look crossed over her sister's face, she'd never liked to see Anna cry.

She shook her head as she walked towards the door once more, reaching for the frosted knob.

She unlocked her door and walked outside her room to meet her father, he looked down at her with a caring gaze, the gaze she usually spared for Anna.

Her father led her to the Library, hundreds of books neatly stacked in an unknown order in book shelves only made by the strongest wood.

Her father stood and motioned towards the books, leaving her to choose a book and then make her way back to her room.

Elsa looked around, getting lost in the maze of book shelves that seemed to tower over her.

" Elsa? " Came a soft voice filled with question and wonder, the voice only belonging to her younger sister.

She turned around and looked into the unbelievable green eyes of her young sister.

Anna smiled and walked up to her, stopping just a few feet away.

She looked up at her bigger sister with awe as a small smiled tracing her lips. Elsa spared a weak smile as she looked down at her younger sister.

" Hey, look what I found. " Anna suddenly perked up and held up a weird book, her eyes widened as she looked at the features of the book.

The cover was black with some kind of pattern on it. Purple words were in the middle of the cover, they seemed familiar, then she noticed they were Norse symbols.

Being Princess ment she had to know many languages, Norse being one of them. Anna didn't know Norse yet, but Elsa did.

The word read 'Destined Legends'.

On the top left corner of the book was a Chinese Dragon that was just as green as Anna's eyes. In its jaws it held the Norse word for 'Earth'.

Another Chinese Dragon rested at the top right corner of the book. The dragon was pure gold, in its jaws it held the Norse word that read 'Air'.

Another Dragon sat on its haunches in the middle of the bottom half of the book, to her surprise the dragon was a light cyan blue, just a few shades lighter than her own dark blue eyes. In its strong maw it held the Norse symbol that when she read her eyes widened. 'Ice', it read, the word making a shiver crawl up and down her spine.

Anna looked at her and pointed to the two words in the middle. " What does that say? "

Elsa told her what it read, for the first time noticing the red dragon that sat on the words.

The Dragon had its back arched as its head was tilted in a deadly yet challenging manner as drool dripped from its chin. Its scales were blood red as its murder filled eyes flickered the all too familiar shade of forest green. The green she only knew by her sister.

She backed up, taking in shaky breaths as panic flared inside of her. She tried calming herself down, failing miserably.

Anna opened up the book and Elsa saw that there were more Norse symbols. Anna asked what they said and Elsa started reading them out loud.

" _**Air, Ice, Earth, Fire. "**_

She read, taking a deep breath she continued.

" _**The one who reads the words,**_

_**The one who makes up the bond,**_

_**Controller of Fire, be the one. "**_

Elsa tilted her head in confusion, but continued reading when Anna looked up at her.

" _**Find the Land Lover,**_

_**Controller of Earth.**_

_**Fine the Freedom Searcher,**_

_**Owner of Air.**_

_**Fine the Insecure Sibling,**_

_**Bender of Ice. "**_

She stopped reading, the words catching as she looked at the words and read them over once again.

The Bender of Ice had to be her, the Insecure Sibling kind of fit her but still...she wasn't insecure.

But if this was talking about her and Anna, that meant that Anna could bend fire. Her sister was a firebender!

She continued reading after a few seconds.

" _**Find the Controller Of Four,**_

_**Binder of the Bond.**_

_**Let her lead you,**_

_**Four sisters by your side.**_

_**One by blood. "**_

One by blood? D-did that meant that _she _was suppose to be with Anna when they...did whatever the book was going to tell them to do. She continued.

" _**Once found,**_

_**Learn to use the gifts bestowed.**_

_**Read the text on and find answers,**_

_**But not all.**_

_**As one the chosens must find the creatures born with the gifts.**_

_**And learn how to control what you have to use it against an evil.**_

_**Stack the text when the world calls for the five.**_

_**Each one holding a letter that makes a word.**_

_**Read on,**_

_**Learn the way,**_

_**Find the Sisters of Four.**_

_**Find the teachers,**_

_**Save the world. "**_

Save the world? They wanted her and Anna to risk their lives and save the world from some kind of threat. Uh, no thank you. But she continued as Anna turned the page.

" _**Travel with the Insecure Sibling,**_

_**Mend the Bond thought broken by your blood.**_

_**Find the other three,**_

_**Leader be Insecure same age same height.**_

_**Blonde and blonde,**_

_**Ice and four.**_

_**Be sisters once again,**_

_**Thaw the ice inside your mind. "**_

She stopped reading, this was definitely meant for her and Anna.

" Oh and look, I found one just like it. " Anna held out a worn old book with a brown cover, littered with holes and tears. " This one used to look just like it before it shifted or something, but this one wont. " She gestured towards the black book and looked back at the old one.

Elsa took the old brown one in her hands, as soon as she did it started to change.

The cover turned a sleek black like the other book, the pattern also weaving its way onto the cover.

The words 'Destined Legends' appeared in Norse in the center of the book.

A Chinese Dragon appeared on the left corner of the book.

The Chinese Dragon was green, in its maw it held the word 'Earth'.

A Chinese Dragon appeared on the right corner of the book, this one was pure gold, it its jaws it held the Norse symbol that read 'Air'.

Another Chinese Dragon appeared in the middle of the bottom half of the book, this one was blood red, its eyes ablaze with hate and a hunger for death. In its maw it held the word 'Fire'.

On the words rested a light blue dragon, when she looked into the dragon's eyes, she knew this book was meant for her.

The blue Chinese Dragon held the Norse Word 'Ice' in its mouth.

She slowly opened the book and silently read the Norse Words to herself.


	4. Four Down, One To Go

**A/N: I'm really sorry, I'v been lazy and messy and I've probably confused you guys. Anyway, I just wanted you guys to know that Anna, Merida, and Rapunzel are four and Elsa and Astrid are six. When Astrid's father died she was five and I skipped a year ahead to where she read the book and set out on her journey so yeah, sorry.**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Ice, Air, Earth, Fire.<strong>_

_**The one who reads the words,**_

_**The one who makes up the Bond,**_

_**Controller of Ice, be the one.**_

_**Find the Land Lover,**_

_**Controller of Earth.**_

_**Find the Freedom Searcher,**_

_**Owner of Air.**_

_**Find the Gentle Sister,**_

_**Bender of Fire.**_

_**Find the Controller of Four,**_

_**Binder of the Bond.**_

_**Let her lead you, **_

_**four sisters by your side,**_

_**One by blood.**_

_**Once found,**_

_**Learn to use the gifts bestowed.**_

_**Read the text on and find answers,**_

_**But not all.**_

_**As one the chosens must find the creatures born with the gifts.**_

_**And learn how to control what you have to use it against an evil.**_

_**Stack the text when the world calls for the five.**_

_**Each one holding a letter that makes a word.**_

_**Read on,**_

_**Learn the way,**_

_**Find the Sisters of Four.**_

_**Find the teachers,**_

_**Save the world.**_

Once again she hesitated at the 'Save the world' part, but continued to silently read to herself as she turned the page.

_**Travel with the Gentle Sister,**_

_**Gentle and protective with her you be.**_

_**Hidden in the shadows of Ice,**_

_**Frozen by the fears of harm.**_

_**What you did was an accident.**_

_**Travel with your sister and the three,**_

_**Bind the bond between.**_

_**Love will thaw,**_

_**Let it go.**_

She stopped reading and took a deep breath. Love will thaw? Let it go? She shook her head from the confusion that filled it.

Elsa didn't know what that meant, but what she did know, was that the book was talking about her and her sister.

They had to go.

Sure the instinct to protect her little sister from any harm was overwhelming, but they had to go, the book had enough evidence that it knew about their lives, either that or the Author was a stalker.

She took a deep breath. No, they were going, no matter what. She had a feeling that it was for the better.

For a few minutes she told Anna a plan, a plan of how Anna would sneak out at night and meet her by her room, where she would then take her little sister out of the Castle and across the lake, somehow.

Anna had agreed with a big smile, saying she would meet her later that night.

A soft knock sounded on her door, making her aware that Anna was there.

She reached for the doorknob, a dreadful feeling making its way up her body and into her uneasy stomach. She was inches away from the doorknob.

Would she open it? Or would he reject her sister like all those other times? She shook her head and turned the doorknob, revealing a happy looking Anna.

Said girl had on warm clothes and a small satchel hanging at her side.

Elsa had said to take a satchel and put any important belongs in it, she had also filled a small satchel with belongings and an extra set of clothes made for warm weather.

She also had an extra satchel, one that she would fill with food.

Taking Anna's hand she led them down the vast hallways, down the stairs, and through the maze of hallways, making sure to avoid her parents room and the maid's quarters.

When they got to the kitchen she started putting fruits into the satchel, making sure to take foods that would last longer.

She filled it with food and then took a small book, the book held information of which plants and berries were edible and poisonous.

Looking over her shoulder, she quickly snatched up some chocolates that had been frozen over next to some ice in a barrel, frozen chocolates were always better.

She made her way over to a window, knowing the front doors would be guarded by

well...Guards.

She slipped out the window and helped her four year old sister through, not wanting her to get hurt, again.

They then stuck to hiding behind bushes and buildings, slipping through the Palace walls by a secret entrance that she'd seen one of the Guards using.

Once they made it past the Palace walls they hid behind buildings and in the shadows, not wanting to get caught.

Elsa, being the slightly smarter six year old sister she was, had to keep Anna from running off and playing in the freshly fallen snow.

Once they reached the Harbor she stopped Anna and looked out unto the vast lake.

She took a deep breath as she squeezed her eyes shut and stepped onto the water, it immediately turned into ice once her shoe touched it.

Elsa opened her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. She looked at Anna who was staring at her with wide eyes and excitement.

Elsa laughed and looked at her sister.

" Anna, I was born with the ability to control ice. " She stopped, she could bend it, but she knew she could never control it.

Whenever she used her magic she could feel it consume her, forcing her to do things that only the magical-no, the dark-side of her could do.

The power she held could not be contained, she didn't control it. It controlled her. But with those thoughts zipping across her mind, she continued.

" And if this book is correct, you were born with the ability to control fire. " Anna looked up at her and smiled a cheeky smile.

" I know, I was listening as you read it to me. "

Elsa smiled at her younger sister then took her hand, slowly leading her across the ice.

Every time she stepped on the water, a snowflake design would appear, she looked at it, amazed.

When they reached the Island on the other end of the lake they smiled at each other, they'd done it!

She looked back at her home, looking at the Palace in the distance and the buildings of her Kingdom.

When she'd left, she'd given up her position of Princess. Her smile faltered. Would her parents miss her? Of course they would miss Anna but...what about her?

She shook her head and turned around, leading Anna deeper into the woods.

They traveled for hours, carefully going across small rivers, walking around rocks, steering clear of drop offs, and trekking across the snow filled and sometimes muddy lands.

" My feet hurt. " Anna whined for the thousandth times.

Elsa was starting to regret bringing her. But no, she'd brought her, and she couldn't do anything about it now.

" Ok, we can stop for a little while, let's rest in that cove or, yeah, cove. " Elsa pointed to a slight dip in the earth.

Anna happily ran down the rocks and hopped around, laying on the ground and closing her eyes once she'd calmed down.

Once she finally reached the bottom, she shook Anna's shoulder, only to find the small girl already fast asleep.

She smiled and laid next to Anna, letting the darkness consume her as soon as she closed her eyes.

A rustling sound reached her ears. It took a second for the thought of possible danger to reach her clouded mind, but when it did, she snapped her eyes open.

She stood up, stumbling a little as her not yet awake legs started to fall out from under her small body.

" Anna! Anna! " She hissed under her breath, watching as her sister slowly woke up.

" W-what? What's wrong Elsa? "

Elsa ran towards her sister, trying to get her sister to move. While doing so her book fell out of her satchel, landing a few feet away. Elsa was too occupied trying to reach Anna to even notice.

She took a stance next to her little sister, determination to protect Anna the only thing making her stand tall and straight.

A foul burst through the bushes, a surprised yelp coming from its young rider on its back.

" Agnus, what was that for? "

Elsa let her stance drop as a young girl, probably the age of Anna, jumped off the young shire's back.

The girl wore a somewhat traditional green dress with a bow in hand and a quiver slung over her shoulder. She had crazy curly red hair, her eyes a slight mix of green and blue.

Once the girl's eyes land on her, she aimed her arrow and pulled out a bow, aiming for them.

Something in Elsa snapped. All that could register in her mind was that Anna was in danger, and she had to protect her. Her eyes narrowed at the arrow and bow in the girl's hand, and she moved on pure instinct.

She stood on front of her sister, crouching down a little as she narrowed her eyes at the girl, just daring her to take a step closer.

" Hurt me or my sister and I _will _kill you. " Her words were filled with venom, her seething hate for the girl showing as she could tell her eyes were ablaze, alive with the look of murder.

Her icy magic swirled within her, begging to be let out. She allowed the slightest of her power to show.

She could feel the sharp points of ice coating her fingertips, ending in a deadly needle sharp tip.

The girl sucked in a breath but stood strong. She watched a the red head's eyes flicked off to the side and land on something.

She slightly turned and looked at what the girl was looking at, her book.

The girl immediately put her arrow down and shuffled through her satchel, pulling out a similar looking book.

Elsa let the ice on her fingertips turn to water as she looked at the book, inwardly letting her eyes go wide as she stayed stoic on the inside.

" You must be the Insecure Sibling? " The girl asked, a thick scottish accent clinging to her words.

Elsa didn't speak and instead walked over to her book and picked it up, not letting the girl out of her sight.

" So the book says. This is my sister, the Gentle Sister. " Elsa motioned towards Anna who was just standing there, not knowing what to do.

The girl nodded. " I'm Merida, and this is Angus. " She pointed towards her horse. Elsa looked at the black and white shire.

" So which one are you? " Asked Anna.

" I don't know, I just know that I control Air. " Merida said, putting her arrow back in the quiver as she let her arrow drop.

Elsa nodded. " Oh, so you're the Freedom Searcher. "

Merida shrugged. " I guess. "

" So now we just need to find the Land Lover, and the Controller of Four. " Anna said.

Elsa looked at her little sister surprised. She'd read the book to her but she didn't think she'd understood.

" How old are you Merida? " Elsa asked.

She put up four fingers.

" I'm four too! " Anna yelled in glee, running over to Merida and jumping around. Merida smiled and played around with Anna.

Elsa on the other hand, wasn't as happy. She was six, two years older than Anna and Merida, that meat she had to watch over two four year olds, great.

" This is so cool! " Anna yelled, a smile alight on her face as Merida giggled and nodded in agreement.

" Yay, woo hoo. So great. " Elsa barely mumbled, her voice filled with sarcasm. She then looked up at Anna and Merida, feeling slightly jealous and protective at the sight of them.

" Come on Anna, we have to get going. " Said little sister looked up at her, then turned and looked at Merida.

" You can come with us, we're going to the same place anyways. "

Elsa almost screamed no but before she could Merida replied.

" Yeah, that would be great. " The redhead looked at Elsa. " If you want me to come. "

Elsa looked at her before nodding, but making sure to give her gaze a slight warning glare.

Merida understood and just nodded back.

" I came from the East and it looks like you came from the West. I'm heading South. " Merida said, pointing to the East, West, and South as the directions were mentioned.

Elsa nodded. As soon as she left she'd had an odd urge to head South. She didn't know why but she did.

" Then let's head South! Come on! " Anna yelled, already climbing out of the cove.

Elsa hurriedly followed as Merida helped Angus up the rocky slope that led to the coves entrance.

Once Merida and Angus were out the red head mounted the shire, having him trot next to them at their pace as they headed South.

Hours passed by as only the sound of snapping twigs, crunching leaves, and silent breaths reached the three girls ears.

Elsa had been hesitant about letting Anna walk in between her and Merida, but she'd decided it was best encase any trouble reared its ugly head, if it did. Anna would be safe.

Angus snorted and neighed ever so often, sometimes stopping to eat the berries off of some branches.

Anna and Merida occasionally chatted, Elsa on the other hand didn't say a word. Too engrossed in the attempt to keep her eyes out for any danger.

She kept on thinking back to when she'd stood in front of Anna, completely ready to take that arrow for her sister. She could remember her hate, the searing red that had blinded her vision and clouded her mind.

That senseless anger had led her to threaten a little girl. A little girl not too different from her own little sister.

Yes, she'd been totally relying on her sisterly instinct, the whispers in her head that had told her to do anything to prevent any harm from coming to her sister, to go to any extent to make sure her sister stayed breathing.

That extent had been to almost kill Merida. A shiver ran up and down her spine as guilt clawed at her insides.

She knew she'd do anything to protect Anna, but if it ever led to it, would she really be willing to kill Merida. To slice open her throat and watch as the crimson red surrounded her in a small pool of death.

She shook her head, trying to rid her mind of the horrid and disgusting sight. This is what her thoughts led to for the past five hours, her mind aimlessly wandering to the sight of Merida's still body.

All the sudden Angus stopped, Merida looking off into the distance with a confused look on her face. She then pointed off into the distance and spoke. " What...is that? "

Elsa looked to where Merida was pointed and let her eyes go wide.

Off into the distance was a small island. The small island of Corona.

" Corona! " Yelled Anna happily as Merida looked at her quizzically.

" Corona? " Merida asked, looking back and forth from Elsa to Anna, a questioning look on her face.

" Yeah, it's one of our neighboring Kingdoms. Our cousin was the Princess until she got kidnapped, the day after her birth. " Elsa said, making her way towards the island as the other two followed.

Merida looked at them sadly, then her face flickered with realization.

" If your cousin is the Princess, then you guys are royalty. " Merida said, her eyes wide.

Anna looked at her and smiled. " Yep! We're Princesses! "

Elsa turned around and slapped her hand over Anna's mouth with wide eyes, but she was too late, the words had already slipped passed her lips.

Merida stared at them and smiled. " I didn't know I was in the presence of royalty. Let me formally introduce myself. I am Merida, first born descendent of Clan Dunbruch, and Heir to my Clan. "

Anna and Elsa looked at her, surprise written across their faces.

" She's a four year old and royalty, just perfect. " Elsa mumbled, but spoke loud enough for everyone else to hear.

Merida looked at her. " Is there a problem Princess? " Her voice defied her her caring facial expression.

" No no no. " Elsa raised her hands up in defence as she continued walking, Anna and Merida followed closely as she continued. " I'm fine, just peachy. "

She just walked on, purposely keeping to the front so she wouldn't have to see Merida's face.

They walked for hours more, the island of Corona getting larger and larger in the distance.

And although they weren't heading South, she felt as if they were going the right way, as if something was leading her towards the island. The whole while feeling as if she was being watched.

Elsa stopped, her face stoic and her body language silent, but inside she was on high alert.

She could sense something was there, either something, or someone. But she had been feeling as if a set of eyes had been boring into her back for the past hour, watching them closely as the secret set of eyes hid in the shadows.

Merida came up next to her, having Angus stop as she too looked around.

Elsa looked at the horse as he neighed and bucked slightly, eyes darting everywhere as if a blood thirsty monster would pop out at any moment. He too, was on high alert.

She looked up at the horses rider, said girl looking around with narrowed eyes as her hand gripped the bow.

Anna came up behind them, looking back and forth from girl to girl.

" What's going on? " Anna asked, her voice filled with fear.

" There's something out there. " Elsa spoke as then Merida nodded and added in her own words.

" We're not alone. "

" Come out! We know you're here! " Cried Anna, her hands cupped on either side of her mouth.

Merida and Elsa tried to shush her but to no avail, her younger sister's words had already been heard as a bush off to their left began to shake.

Elsa tensed as she stood in front of her sister, feeling the familiar blinding rage and instinct kicking in as she allowed her icy magic to take over what shred of control over it she had left.

All the sudden out of the bushes came a small girl, said child looking like the age of Anna and Merida.

'_Oh please no.' _Elsa mentally groaned, wishing and silently praying that the small girl wasn't the Controller of Four or the Land Lover. But to make sure, she had to try something.

" I'm the Insecure Sibling, the brunette is the Gentle Sister, and the redhead is the Freedom Searcher. "

The girl looked at her, eyes wide.

She had long blonde hair that dragged behind her and a light pink long sleeved dress on, some light pink pants under that. On her shoulder was a little green baby chameleon, the small animal gazing at them with a surprising overprotective death glare.

" I'm the uh...the one that controls Earth or something. " She said, uncertainly.

Elsa let her head hang and she mentally groaned. Great, another child to take care of.

" Oh, so you're the Land Lover. " Merida said. " I'm Merida, the brunette is Anna and blondy over there is Elsa, Anna's overprotective older sister. "

Elsa glared at Merida, said girl letting the glare go unnoticed as she walked up to the Land Lover.

" I'm Rapunzel. "

Anna and Elsa's eyes widened at that. No, she couldn't be.

Rapunzel was what they the King and Queen of Corona had named their baby girl before she got kidnapped, which had been four years ago. Elsa looked at the girl.

" How old are you? "

Rapunzel looked up at her and answered with the number four.

Elsa looked away. No, no it wasn't possible. The little girl was someone else, she had to be.

" Are you guys heading South? "

The three girls looked up at the newest member, gazing into her green eyes.

Merida nodded. " Yeah, why? "

Rapunzel quickly shook her head. " No it's just, as soon as I left I had this urge to head South. "

Anna nodded. " Yeah, us too. Come one, we should get to shelter before we head out again. "

Elsa looked at Anna surprised, but nodded her head in agreement.

They trecked across the land and found a nice clearing. There they set up camp. Elsa collected twigs and grass and duck a small ditch where she discarded the sticks. Merida made the fire.

It wasn't long before the four girls were huddled around the small flame, and it wasn't long until they each fell asleep, unaware of what would come in the morning.

Days after days they searched for the Controller of Four, crossing over islands and valleys, to no avail. And just when they were about to give up, something happened. Something no one would've expected.

They were attacked by wolves, but not just any wolves. Dire Wolves.


	5. Alpha

Two day. Two Thor forsaken days of vast ocean as a sight as the wind was her only company.

The fish had lasted and still was keeping her energy up, but she had drunk the little water she had packed, and the juice from the fish was drier every day.

She constantly listened to the sound of water lapping at the side of the boat, rocking the small ship around as the deadly sea creatures below swam around the row boat, waiting for her to fall out and have their next meal.

She could always fend them off, swinging her axe at them when they got to close, and even successfully fishing one of the creatures out, resulting in a tasty meal.

She sat there, waiting and watching for any land to appear like she'd been doing for the past two days and countless hours.

Her body was exhausted, and her mind was beyond tired. she couldn't tell what was up and what was down and everytime she slept it got harder and harder to wake up.

Her stomach hurt from the strict fish only diet that it wasn't used to, and her mouth was dry to the point where it got hard to breath, the little saliva she had catching in her throat and making her choke.

Her mind was always clouded, and often she found that she didn't have the strength to blow away the thick fog of hopelessness,s eh let it fill her mind and drain her body, nipping at the last bit of life she had left.

No, she wasn't going to die. Well maybe, she didn't know yet.

All she knew was that she was extremely tired, and with the very rare heat, she would die of dehydration if she didn't find land and some water, soon.

She looked up, spotting a fuzzy speck of green in the distance, she shook her head and when she saw the green speck once again, she knew she wasn't hallucinating.

She sat up suddenly, cringing at the sudden movement as her stiff body and tense muscles screamed in protest.

She gritted her teeth and shook her head, standing up and ignoring the pain like any real warrior would.

The boat continued to drift as she slowly helped the boat by rowing with one of the oars. After a good twenty minutes she sat down and stopped rowing, letting her arm rest.

It felt good to use her arm again in the way that she had. She was used to throwing her axe at Berk's poor trees in the forest, used to using her arm until it was numb and until the pain was overwhelming. She was used to the pain, until it got to the point where she couldn't feel it anymore.

But now she felt the pain, and it was glorious. The pain meant she was alive, and being alive was everything, especially if she'd felt dead after drifting across the vast sea for two days.

She watched as the green dot slowly got bigger, it was still fuzzy, but it was there. She sat down and relaxed a bit, just letting the cool breeze brush past her aching muscles and tired body.

She closed her eyes and before she knew it, she couldn't open them.

A soft _thunk _roused her from her deep sleep, forcing her to slowly peel her eyes open as she stared at the unfamiliar sight of an unfamiliar island.

She opened her eyes and scrambled onto the island, for the first actually thanking the Gods for having solid land under her feet.

After taking a few deep breaths she walked back to the boat, dragging the satchels onto land with her. She didn't really need the boat anymore, but just in case. She dragged the small row boat onto land, making sure that it was on the island enough so that it wouldn't float off.

Astrid walked through the forest, stopping to rest against a tree after walking for hours.

The wind started to hum a lullaby as the leaves swayed to the tune. The birds started to sing there own song as the silence of the forest welcomed the beautiful harmony. The bugs cheered in delight making their own noise to join the game. The heat warmed her as the soft breeze ran down her body to keep her cool.

Astrid ran a hand through her smooth loose dirt blonde hair and rested her head against the tree, she closed her eyes as sleep pulled at her. She snapped her eyes open as the sounds around her stopped as silence once again dominated the woods.

'_I have a mission to complete!' _She scolded herself, reluctantly getting up as she continued walking, ignoring the blinding pain and aches that shot through her body with every step.

With the satchels slung over her back, her axes clipped to her belt, and her mum's bow in hand with the quiver resting on her back, she made her way through the woods.

When she'd first entered the woods the trees had been spread far apart as she'd had a lot of room to move, but as she got closer to the heart of the forest the woods quickly started to get more dense.

But she trudged on, not knowing where she was going but having a strange urge to head in one direction.

She looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was setting, and the sun set in the West. She turned around to where the sun had risen that morning, so then that was East. She turned to her left and looked straight ahead, so then she was facing North. But the urge was pulling her towards the opposite direction, to the South.

She kept on going South, heading into the unknown as she had nothing but instinct and curiosity to guide her to her destination.

Slowly the sun had seemingly sunken into the Earth as the moon slowly rose, letting its ghostly light shine down on her as it lit her path.

She kept on walking, resisting the pleads of sleep as her body begged her to rest, though her mind was wide awake.

The stars twinkled in the night sky and shined down on her, winking at her ever so often as of praising her for not giving up, cheering her on as she trecked past valleys and old paths that nature had carved out for her.

She finally came to a stop, panting slightly as her numb legs buckled and stood tall and stiff, not listening to the commands her brain send to them. They wouldn't move, her body was to tired.

She took in a deep breath, once again surprised at the empty feeling that filled once she did. Just then she realized she how tired she really was.

Her body was cramped from the stiff boat ride that lasted two days, her bones were grinding together with every step she took, her chest swelled in pain at every little sip of air she breathed in, and her muscles screamed in agonizing pain at the sudden exercise she had inflicted upon them.

Her vision suddenly blurred, all the colors of the forest around mixing together in one big blob.

She looked around, her eyes landing on a small clearing, she started to make her way over to the ideal resting place as then she suddenly collapsed, her mind slipping into a blissful deep sleep before she even hit the ground.

Pain. That's alls she felt. Of course it wasn't a surprise, she'd been waking up to pain for the past year every morning. But this was different. Usually it was the dull ache in her heart that she'd desperately want gone, now it was physical pain, something she hadn't felt in a long time.

And she loved it.

She pushed herself up, the shrill screams her body sung only making her more determined to get up and get a move on.

She sat up and reached inside her big satchel, pulling out a fish and one of the small sticks she used to hold them out.

She'd had no use for the sticks when she'd been on the row boat because there was no fire for the stick to hold the fish over, and if there had been, she would have sunk a long time ago.

She stabbed the fish with the stick and let it rest on a rock, gathering some small twigs and leaves as she placed off to the side. She dug a small ditch with her hands and then stuck the twigs and leaves inside. Getting up she gathered a couple handful of rocks and wrung them around the small ditch.

She viciously scraped the two rocks together, successfully getting a spark to jump out of the connection point of the rocks and landing on the pile of sticks and dry leaves. She watched as the spark started to slightly glow. She lightly blew on it, creating a simple fire when she was done.

She threw her hands up in victory and pumped her fists in the air, letting a slight smile play across her face as she felt the twinge of pride spark inside of her.

She gave the fire a few minutes to grow, letting her fish roast over the flames when she decided it was big enough.

She slowly turned the fish, making sure to get it good and crispy, she'd had enough raw fish. She shook her head and stuck her tongue out in disgust as she recalled the memories of biting into the cold, dead, sweet, and wet fish.

She watched the fish cook, her eyes getting lost in the flames at it licked at the air and at the tip of the fish, brushing its flaming fingers across the slow roasting meal.

Embers slowly floated upwards, dancing around her and the fire like annoying bugs, swarming ehr and clogging her throat as she blinked often, keeping the ash and dust from reaching her eyes.

She was staring at the fish, feeling wet liquid run down her chin as she wiped away the unknown drool that head slipping past her lips.

When the fish was done she pulled it away from the fire, looking at her first cooked meal for what felt like years.

She pulled out the eyes of the fish and popped them in her mouth, slowly sucking on the sweet and nutritious treat as she groaned in amazement at the taste in her mouth.

When she was done with the eyes she took a bite into the fish, letting the juicy liquid drain from the meat and fill her mouth. With every bite she savored the taste, letting her tongue run over the meat as she sucked the sweet juice from every sliver of flesh that entered her mouth.

When she was done she stood up and blew out the flames, smothering the ashes and embers as she made sure that the woods around her wouldn't catch on fire.

She slung the satchels over her shoulder and took her weapons in her hands, continueing on her journey to head South as she walked on for hours, only stopping to get a drink from a nearby stream and to pick edible berries and fruits from some bushes.

She ended up in a clearing, a perfect line of the thick, strong, and normal trees she'd been looking at for the past three hours. The only thing different was that hanging from the trees and swaying with the wind, were plump red apples, each one looking juicier than the other.

The grass was lush and green as the slow breeze sent ripples across the grass, making it look like a sea of green. the sky was a vibrant blue, a few stray clouds splotching over the vast ocean of blue.

In the middle of the clearing was a huge old willow tree. Its trunk was tall and straight for first twenty feet or so as then all the branches peeled outward, none touching the ground but making a very nice and spacious shaded area. The roots on the tree were uprooted, making a small cage-like shelter that looked about the size of her room.

One of the branches on the right side of the tree was spread out farther than the others, not touching the ground but making a small shaded area that looked like a peaceful place to rest. No other branches even came near the one branch, making it salutary, though it looked perfect like that.

She smiled as she felt the urge to walk on slowly diminish, she'd found her home, for now anyway. She immediately set to work.

She walked a little ways north and found a strong looking tree, its thick body and looming height towering over her. She smirked a little and took a hold on her father's axe, unclipping it from its holster.

She swung at the tree, slowly chopping down the tree as every string sent a wave pain through her still stiff muscles.

Slowly the sun started to lower but she still kept chopping down the tree, eventually letting it crash down and land on the forest floor, sending a thundering vibration zig-zagging throughout the ground as the loud crack of the tree soared through the air.

She chopped the tree into small pieces, slowly dragging each one back to the clearing. By the time she was finished the sun had disappeared as only the slightest trail of pink lit up the soon to be night sky.

She walked over to the lonely branch and sat under it, closing her eyes as her tired body slipped into the much needed sleep it had earned.

She heard a snapping sound, the sudden noise waking her up in an instant, her eyes immediately adjusting in the dark. She'd always been a light sleeper, waking up at the distant sound of flapping wings whenever a Dragon Raid occurred a few good minutes before the other Vikings.

She sat up, gripping her father's axe in her hand as she slowly stood up, looking around.

The sky was pitch black, only a few stars lighting up the clearing as behind the line of apple trees was nothing but a black shadow, a thick fog of nothingness keeping her keen eye sight from seeing past the treeline.

An almost invisible flash of gray and black came from her left and then disappeared, seconds later she saw the same color off to her right, then in front of her, then behind. She was surrounded.

She breathed in, taking in the scent of dried blood and disgusting morning breath as the musty smell of dirt and grime were mixed in.

Her nose wrinkled in disgust, the smell being unmistakable as the savage animals who owned them raided Berk almost as much as the dragons did.

Dire Wolves.

She heard another snapping sound as the rustling of twigs and leaves sent her on high alert.

A single wolf stepped out of the shadows slightly to her left, its pitch black eyes staring at her with the endless depths of immediate death.

The wolf had a sleek black coat, its fur shading into a dark gray on its underbelly, under its tail, and on its paws. Its top lip was pulled back in a silent snarl, its two razor sharp fangs showing in a challenging intimidation. Its head was slightly lowered, its head tilted as it observed her. Its tail was held up high though not to its fullest peek.

She looked closer and noticed that its chest wasn't puffed out and it wasn't growling or raising its tail so that it pointed towards the sky. The wolf wasn't the leader.

Another wolf stepped out from behind the safety of the treeline, followed by others, leaving no escape route. She smiled, never intending to make a run for it anyway.

Then right in front of her stepped out another wolf, she immediately knew this one was different from the others.

It was obviously female, its eyes holding a deadly challenge as it looked at her with the slight spark of feminine. She was a deep blood red, her underbelly, under her tail, paws, and muzzle a slightly lighter red.

The moon raked her body, making the her red form glow as if she was bathed in the blood of her victims, wrapping her in an aura of death.

She stood tall with her chest puffed out, her tail pointing towards the sky as she looked down at her, even though she was obviously taller than the wolf.

Her eyes widened as she smirked.

The Alpha.

On Berk she'd been secretly studying the wolves from afar, watching their body language and mesmerizing their way of communication. If she wanted to have any chance of making the wolves leave her, she would have to assert her dominance.

Astrid stood tall and straight, tilting her head upward as she tilted her chin to the left, looking down on the pack leader and let out a slight growl, baring her own teeth.

Over the years she'd been able to mimic the wolves growls, snarls, bark, howls, and yips almost to perfection, so she kind of knew how to speak to them.

The Alpha's ears perking up, turning ever so slightly in the body language that she wanted to hear the sound again, as of to make sure she heard right.

She once again growled at the wolf, a little louder in the attempt to make it clear that they were invading her territory.

The pack leader looked at her and snarled, standing a little taller as she approached Astrid.

If she was going to assure the wolves that the clearing was hers, she'd have to go down to their level, literally.

She let her axe drop down next to her, all the wolves looking at her surprised as she did so. She then got on the ground, crawling on the forest floor on her hands and knees.

She approached the wolf with the same dominance the leader before her showed, circling the red Dire Wolf as she tried to move around in an intimidating manner.

The Alpha did the same, showing more sashay in her movements than Astrid. The wolf growled.

She'd heard the growl before, the same growl the Alpha back on Berk would use on its pack if a wolf ever challenged him. It was a last warning growl, a choice to either leave or fight.

She stilled, could she fight a wolf? She had no problem fighting dragons but a wolf? In her opinion wolves were much more deadly than dragons. But if she wanted to get them to leave, she'd have to fight.

She growled back, letting the growl hiss through the cracks in her teeth as she slightly clicked her tongue, accepting the challenge.

The Alpha snarled, her eyes ablaze in outrage and pure hatred.

All the wolves around them back away and surrounded them in a circle, knowing that the fight was between the two. But they also blocked off all her escape routes, there was no going back now.

The Alpha leapt at her and she barely dodged, feeling the wolf's claws lightly graze her shoulder as she grinded her teeth together in pain, but she made no noise.

The pack leader crouched down and growled at her, she growled back and jumped up a little, stomping her hands down and shaking her head while grunting and snarling, making the Alpha even more enraged.

This time she lept at the Alpha, knocking her down and biting down on her neck.

Now she would've never bit someone on the neck if she were at Berk, but she was fighting to survive and she'd been watching the wolves for years, biting their necks was one way to fight them.

On Berk, all she'd have to do was throw a glare at someone and they'd immediately back off, she'd never needed to bite someone, and if on the island she probably never would.

But she was in the wolf world, were biting, mauling, snarling, hissing, and snarling was allowed. If she fought any other way, the red Dire Wolf would know she was cheating and she'd call on her pack for help.

And yes while it was a little embarrassing and more than slightly awkward, but she'd fight. It was the only way.

She bit down harder, feeling sharp claws run down her shoulder as a shriek of pain came from the pack leader. She held tight untils he felt the coppery taste of blood filling her mouth.

She pulled away and circled the dazed wolf, snarling as she glared daggers at the bleeding animal.

The Alpha ran at her and head butted her, standing ontop of her as she bit down on her shoulder.

A searing pain shot through her as she cried out in pain, glaring at the wolf as she snarled and bit her on the muzzle.

The wolf pulled back and shook her head, she took that to her advantage and started nipping at the wolf's legs biting down on her red tail just to aggravate her. An angry opponent was a blinded opponent.

The Alpha reared her head back and snapped at her, her fangs sinking into her cheek as she bucked her head and pulled at her tearing flesh.

She screamed as her vision was blurred by blinding red hot anger, she snarled and bit the Alpha's cheek also, sinking her duller canine teeth into the wolf's flesh.

The wolf howled in pain and let go, pulling back and shaking her head in pain.

She tackled the wolf and bit her stomach, legs, chest, face, and even pinned the wolf and shoved her face right in front of the Alpha's, snarling as the anger inside if her zigzagged throughout her body and through the forest floor.

The Alpha looked at her, eyes wide as she slowly lowered her head in defeat.

Astrid pulled back in surprise and got off of the Alpha, the realization of her winning finally

dawning on her.

She looked at the wolves around her, each one of them slowly laying down and rolling over so that their bellies were facing the sky, showing complete submission.

She looked at the defeated Dire Wolf, the animal with a sad look in her eyes as her body posture was one of shame.

Astrid felt pity for the wolf, she'd meant to get the wolves to leave, not to strip the Alpha of her title.

Now all the wolves were savage beasts at her command, animals that would follow her anywhere without a second of hesitation. Even if she tried to get them to leave they would stick with her, no matter what. A wolf pack was loyal until the end.

She walked over to the leader and lightly nudged her.

The Dire Wolf slowly got up, her tail tucked between her legs as her head was held low, her body so close to the ground that it looked like she was laying down. She rubbed her face in the dirt, showing complete submission.

Astrid stood up and looked at the wolves around her, giving out a series of grunts and growls as she then walked towards where she'd been sleeping, the wolves close behind.

She grabbed her axe and clipped it back on her belt, laying back down.

The wolves huddled around her, wrapping her in a thick blanket of warmth and comfort. She went stiff at the contact at first, but then relaxed when she realized they weren't going to tear her to shreds and use her bones for toothpicks.

Her vision was blurring as sleep tugged at her, she was about to drift off when she caught sight of the red wolf, sitting alone a good couple feet away from the pack that surrounded her.

The red Dire Wolf would try to get closer and going the thick layer of living blankets that covered her, but whenever she did the other wolves would growl at her, warning her off.

She felt pity for the wolf, she hadn't meant to take away her pack, she'd just wanted them to leave. She narrowed her eyes, determined on making things right with the lone red wolf.

She sat up and growled lightly, gesturing odd motions with her head as she did.

The red wolf looked up, ears perked up in curiosity as she listened to her. When she was done the wolf slowly got up and made her way next to Astrid, the other wolves around her growling but no attacking.

Astrid had asked the wolf to come near her, telling the others wolves to not attack.

No, she could actually talk to them, but she did know some of their language.

When watching the Dire Wolf pack on Berk she'd heard the way the Alpha had growled when he broke up fights, telling the other wolves to back off. She'd also listened to him as he told wolves to come to him. It was the first wolf word she'd ever tried to mimic.

She'd made the grunting sound that had ushered the red wolf to come to her, and had given the other wolves a warning growl, telling them that if they attacked, they'd have to deal with her.

The red Dire Wolf stood before her, head dipped in shame as her tail was almost completely out of sight, being tucked between her legs in the most submissive way. Her ears were drooped down, showing no signs of violence, only bittersweet respect.

She took a deep breath as closed her eyes, pushing her face against the side of the wolf's head.

She'd seen the Alpha back on berk do it often, mostly when forgiving another wolf or just showing gratitude.

She pulled back and watched as the wolf slightly raised her tail and let her ears stand up, a little droopy yes, but at least not all the way down. She also stood up a little taller, her eyes sparkling with slight confidence.

The wolves around the two stopped growling, ears perked up in curiosity. Something in their eyes lit up their predatory eyes, respect.

They could see that their Alpha was favoring the former leader, that gave her a status, not a high status, but a status at the least.

But she wasn't done with the red wolf yet, far from it.

Astrid made a serious of grunting sounds mixed with slight growls, she then laid down in front of the red Dire Wolf, completely exposing herself. She then sat back up and once again pushed her face up beside the wolf's cheek.

The red Dire raised her tail even higher, her ears pointed upwards and her chest slightly puffed out.

No she wasn't Alpha again, but with those simple noises and gestures, she'd made her the Beta.

She looked at the red wolf, knowing she couldn't just call her red wolf or whatever, she was going to need a name. She looked around at all the other wolves. They were all going to need names.

'_Bloodfire'_ Astrid thought, her word a loud whisper in her mind that was directed to the red wolf. Said wolf looked at her, curiosity sparkling in her flaming red and orange eyes, yellow flecks mixed into the endless depths or her death filled orbs.

The red wolf seemed to nod, as if reading her mind and approving of the name that fit so well. Astrid smiled and laid down, letting the task of naming the rest of the wolves burden her in the morning.

Bloodfire laid down next to her, wrapping her tail around her and resting her head next to hers in a protective kind of way.

She smiled and drifted off to sleep.


	6. Freedom

When she woke up she found huge docile orange and red eyes looking down at her, giving her a questioning glance.

She got up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, she looked around and noticed that every other wolf was gone.

She grunted, not knowing what she was actually saying but mentally asking the question. _Where?_

Bloodfire, seemingly understanding huffed and walked away, throwing her head back and letting out a beautiful holw. It was unlike any howl she'd ever heard.

When on Berk she'd hear plenty of howls, but they had always been savage and bloodthirsty, cruel twisted forms of Bloodfire's howl. The howls had always been echoed with snarls, growls and high pitched yelps of glee and pain.

The sound that came from Bloodfire was just purely...beautiful.

It was slightly high pitched but was echoed by the whispers of a silent song, a mix of all her power and status put into a single note that echoed throughout the woods and echoed off the thick trees and rustled through the leaves.

The world seemed to freeze, all life on the island stopping as every living thing seemed to listen to the beautiful tune that rang through the air.

Bloodfire stopped howling, letting her head fall as she looked at Astrid.

Seconds later the rest of the pack came running through the tree line, each one responding to Bloodfire call with their own short, yelp-like holws.

In their mouths they each held an animal. It was obvious now that the pack had gone hunting while Bloodfire had stayed to watch over her while she slept, only calling them back when she awoke.

For the first time it struck her, the full impact of realization that he had a pack. She was their Alpha. She cared for them, led them, sent out hunting parties, fought with them, ought for them.

But it wasn't just that. She was their Alpha, they listened to her and they were willing to fight any battle with her. No, _for _her. They'd accepted her, making up their minds that she was wolf enough to lead the pack.

And because of that, she was beyond honored.

All the wolves looked at her expectantly,even Bloodfire looked at her with a gaze that made it obvious that she was waiting for something.

She looked at the prey they held in their mouth, not one of them eating or even drooling over the dead rodents and small animals.

Her eyes widened in realization as she slightly smiled. She motioned with her head to the small cave under the uprooted roots of the old willow tree a she growled with a mix of a grunt.

All the wolves took their turns dumping their catch into the small cave until all of them had gone, they looked at her again, tilting their heads as they sat patiently.

She looked at Bloodfire, confused to an impossible extent. What did they want from her?

Bloodfire looked at her, motioning towards her as she licked her chops, her eyes darting back and forth from her to the pile of food under the tree. Bloodfire licked her chops once again and she finally got it.

Alphas eat first.

She walked over to the small tree cave and walked inside. From the outside it looked small, but when inside it was huge.

The dirt was nice and soft, small patches of green sprouted out in different areas. It was big enough so that she could stand up tall in, plenty of small shadows so that he could hide if she wanted. The roots were spread out enough so that sunlight got through, but close enough together so that she couldn't fit through.

The food was stacked in a huge pile to the back of the small cave, rodents such as rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, some fish, some rats and mice, a couple birds that were mostly likely snagged out of the sky, one gopher, some raccoons, woodchucks, and a muskrat.

The pile was fair sized and was enough to feed the pack for a couple days, but they'd need more if they were going to last through the week.

She stopped herself in mid-thought. She was thinking about the packs health, she was actually thinking about how it would impact the oact. She was acting like an Alpha. she smiled.

She picked up one of the raccoons by its back legs and walked out, making sure the wolves saw what she picked that she did actually pick something.

After she sat back down under the shade of the single thick branch, Bloodfire went into the tree cave and came out with a fairly plump muskrat.

A wolf went into the tree cave after her, Astrid remembered him to be the first wolf that had stepped out of the shadows. She recalled how he'd carried himself, document above the others except Bloodfire.

Her eyes widened in realization. That meant that while Bloodfire was the Alpha he'd been the Beta, no he was technically the Delta.

Bloodfire walked over to her with the muskrat in her jaws, she then laid down off to Astrid' right. The Delta wolf came over to her too, sitting on Astrid's left side.

She'd have to come up with a name for him, she thought about it.

'_Nightcloud' _The thought was directed to him and he turned to look at her, eyes sparkling with keen intelligence. He accepted the name.

She walked around and gathered some small twigs, making a small fire as she skinned the raccoon with her axe, which honestly, wasn't easy.

It took a good ten minutes, not counting the process of gutting the animal and ridding it of its blood, which Bloodfire and Nightcloud lapped up. When she was done, she tore small chunks of meat off and stabbed them with a stick.

She then waited for the meat to cook and when it was done, she would eat it while cooking another chunk.

She ate fast, having to slow down and savor each bite as she found herself eating the meat as if she were like the wolves that surrounded her.

By the time was done Bloodfire and Nightcloud were just watching her, as were all the other wolves. What did they want?

Realization then hit her. They probably did all kinds of things to that kept them busy for the whole day, here with her, they had nothing to do. They were waiting.

She looked around, trying to find something for her wolves to do. Huh, its only been a day and she'd thinking of them as _her _wolves.

Her eyes landed on the stack of cut up tree pieces she had dragged to the clearing yesterday, she smiled, knowing what her wolves could help her with.

She got up and walked over to the pile of wood, turning back to look at the tree as she squinted in concentration, she'd have to build a small hut somewhere. Or...on something. She smiled at the thought of building her hut on the tree. It could be called a...tree hut.

She looked at the tree again, there didn't seem to be any suitable place for her to build the tree hut on, all the while the wolves watched her curiously.

She went up to the tree and stood right it, then and only then did she notice something.

Where the branches peeled from each other was a nice little space where she could build the tree hut, and there were some smaller branches that shaded the area so when she built her tree hut there would be extra protection.

She looked at the wolves and smiled as she walked over to the pieces of wood and drug them back to the base of the tree, beckoning for them to do the same.

They seemed to get it as they partnered up in large groups and tried to move the round blocks of wood, slowly making progress with every nudge.

She grabbed her axe and thinned the wood piece out, cutting it into two by splitting it right down the middle. That alone took great strength and lots of focus, but back on Berk she'd helped rebuild huts sometimes, she knew what to do. That meant she could do it all the more quicker.

When she was done she sharpened the sides of both blocks, making it so that it was a square. When she was done with both they were roughly the size of her. She smiled and nodded, doing the same to every circled block the wolves delivered to her.

It took hours, by the time she was done she was covered in sweet and extremely happy she'd taken the clothes Ruffnut had given to her. At the thought of the twin her heart ached.

Yes she missed Berk, more than she had hoped she would. But she couldn't go back now, she was on a mission. And a Hofferson alway completes their mission, even if it led them to their bitter end.

She was surrounded by sixteen square blocks of wood, each one the six of a five year old Viking like herself.

She dragged four pieces of wood together that made a wall, it was small for a adult Viking, but for her it was just the right size.

Now she just needed a way to make the pieces stick together.

As if reading her mind Bloodfire walked up to her and nudged her, leading her towards one of the trees that outlined the clearing.

The red Dire Wolf got up and stood on her back legs, her front legs resting against the tree as if she'd just chased a squirrel up the apple tree. Then she started pawing at some liquid that was leaking through a small hole in the tree.

She looked closer and saw that it was a see through orange liquid. A small ant was caught in the liquid, trying to get free but failing miserably as the orange stuff began to quickly cool and turn solid.

She reached out her hand and touched the liquid, knowing it was tree sap as soon as it touched her fingertips.

Her eyes widened at what Bloodfire was trying to tell her. She could use the sap to make the wood stick together!And with how quickly it turned hard she would probably have four walls in no time!

She gripped her axe and almost wung, when she caught herself. Yes she needed the sap but the trees that lined the clearing were so beautiful, maybe she could find another tree with sap?

She started walking into the woods, turning around to look over her shoulder when she noticed the sound of paws padding against the forest floor. The pack was following her. She smiled and continued walking.

It wasn't long until she found a tree that looked similar to the one filled with sap, the only difference was that the one in front of her bore orange and yellow looking fruits.

She ran her hand over the fruit and was surprised when she felt little hairs prickle her fingertips. She plucked a fruit off from one of the branches and took a bite. A sweet and slightly sour taste filled her mouth, her nose scrunched up in disgust as she spit out what had been in her mouth. She then threw the fruit away.

An unfamiliar sound reached her ears and she turned to see Bloodfire with her head thrown back, a grunting and slight huffing sound coming from her throat. She immediately knew it was a wolves version of a laugh.

Astrid grunted at Bloodfire while she gnashed her teeth together in the fact that she was annoyed, after that Bloodfire shut up.

She smirked and grabbed her axe, hacking away at the tree as her lazy wolves just sat around and watched her.

When she managed to chop off a chunk she started peeling off the bark, revealing a soft layer of wood that had sap oozing out from the cracks. She peeled off the soft layer, the sap coming down the tree like the drool she'd seen coming from the wolves' maw whenever they caught a meal.

She grabbed the chunk of bark she'd peeled off and placed it under the sap, letting the sticky liquid roll down the tree and collect on the bark.

It took a couple minutes but finally the sap started to slow down until no more came from the tree. She had to move fats, some of the sap was already hardening.

She whistled at the sleeping wolves and started running back to the clearing. When she got there she walked over to the square wood pieces.

Sitting down she used a stick to cover the sides of the wood like a gauze, putting the pieces together so when they hardened they'd be sticking together.

For the day her work was done, she walked over to her resting spot and sat down, letting the wolves surround her in a warm blanket as Bloodfire layed down next to her, curling her tail around her leg.

And then together, the pack drifted off to sleep.

When they woke up it wasn't because the sun had started finding its way to the sky, no, it was on way worse circumstances.

She felt something wet on her cheek, then her forehead, then her whole body. She opened one of her eyes, snapping them both open when she saw what surrounded her.

Rain pelted the ground as if it were holding a grudge, lightning splitting the sky in two as Thor rained down no mercy on the earth.

She got up, looking around to see the wolves all huddled together under the cover of the tree. Her eyes landed on the pieces of wood around her, she'd have to put her plan into action sooner than she'd have liked.

She set her axe down and ran towards the pieces of wood, trying to drag them under her small rest area. But it wasn't exactly easy, she wasn't some strong Viking teen.

Seeing her actions, Bloodfire rushed over to her, nudging the wood in a fatal attempt to help. All the other wolves looked at them for a second, then rushed over to help their Alpha and Beta.

Eventually they got the piece of wood under the smalls shelter. One down three to go.

It was hard work getting the wood pieces under the sheltered area, the rain chilling her and the wolves down to the bone with every second. The thunder crackled in the sky above, roaring down on them as more lightning lit up the sky and blinded them for seconds at a time.

When they got all four blocks under the slightly wet area Astrid wasted no time trying to drag the first one up the tree.

She sighed and rested the block against the tree, climbing up the old willow and trying to pull the wood wall up. The wolves gathered under the wall and pushed it up with their noses and paws, finally managing to get the wall up the tree.

Astrid rested the wall against the branches of the tree, realizing something. The branches peeled away but went in an upward motion before sprouting everywhere, making the branches natural walls.

She didn't need walls, she just needed a roof! Well a roof and maybe some small pieces of wood to cover up the small gaps in between the branches. She shook her head in frustration. All that hard work for nothing!

So instead of resting the wall against the branch, she pushed it upward to try to make it her roof. The wall wouldn't go up anymore, getting jammed into a tight spot so that it was stuck. She pushed and pounded against the wall until she knew it was secure.

Slowly pulling her hands away, she smiled when she noticed the roof was holding up, even with the rain pounding down on it.

She crawled to the edge of the tree and looked down at her wolves, giving them a thumbs up. They seemed to smile at her as Bloodfire yipped in glee, the other wolves following suit. Her smile widened.

Slowly, all the wolves circled around the tree, laying their heads down on their paws as they yawned and fell asleep, all but one wolf.

Bloodfire looked at her with big docile eyes, whining and pawing at the tree as she let her ear flop down as one stood up in an adorable way.

She tried to look away, but the image of the wolf had burned its way into her brain. She mentally groaned and hopped out of the tree, boosting Bloodfire up and climbing back in.

She laid down as Bloodfire curled around her, licking her face and going to sleep. Astrid made a disgusted face and tried to wipe off the wolf saliva to no avail. Soon she too, fell asleep.

Her face felt wet, and she opened her eyes to see Bloodfire seemingly smirking at her. But she couldn't be sure with all the saliva blurring her vision...wait what?

She jumped up and started wiping her face, spitting out the traces of wolf drool that had made its way into her mouth. She glared at Bloodfire and growled, the wolf back down a little, giving her a sheepish look. She rolled her eyes and jumped down from the tree, the red Dire Wolf following.

All the other wolves looked at her, Nightcloud walked up to her with a small group of wolves behind him.

She looked around, not knowing what to do. Bloodfire looked at her and let out a short and high pitched howl. The wolves ran off into the forest in small groups, she reckoned they must be hunting.

Astrid's eyes landed on a small group of wolves that had stayed. one adult wolf sat down panting, bundles of fur jumping around her with energy that seemed to radiate from them.

She noticed that the pups were feeding off from the wolf, so that meant it was an adult female. She also noticed that it looked like there were too many pups for them to all be hers. She must take care of them while the pack is gone.

She walked over to the wolf, waiting for her to growl. Whens she didn't, she walked a little closer and knelt in front of the female wolf.

She reached out and let her hand rest on the wolf's snout, softly petting her as she thought up a name.

The female Dire Wolf looked at her with amber eyes, yellow and flecks of black twinkling in the endless depths of her orbs.

'_Ambereyes.' _It wasn't a special name, but it matched her eyes. Ambereyes let her tongue lull out of the side of her mouth, a smile reaching her eyes as she looked at Astrid.

Astrid looked down at the pups, picking one up that had a dark gray coat. He looked at her with gray eyes, black and slight blue mixed in.

She almost dropped the wolf at the sight, having to calm herself as she set the pup down. Her father's eyes had looked just like the ones the pup had. '_Keeneye.'_ The name was in honor of her father. She could tell the male pup would grown up to be a strong wolf,s he could see it in its eyes.

She looked at two other pups. They had a dark gray coat with a white underbelly, a white mark on each of their foreheads. They were fighting and butting their heads together, no doubt they were siblings and came from the same litter.

She looked little closer. They looked alike, but a lot more alike than any siblings should. Her eyes widened in realization. They were twins. They butted their heads together once again and she decided their names immediately.

She looked at them, their eyes were the same but she could see the feminine spark in one of the pups' eyes. The other one holding the competitive look of a male.

'_Ruff and Tuff.' _They butted heads once again and both landed on their butts, yipping and howling in happiness as they played around some more.

Another pup came in between Ruff and Tuff, pinning them both down and holding its head high as the pup smirked at both of them. She could tell the pup was a small male. His coat was pitch black, his eyes a dark hazel brown.

She frowned and rolled her eyes at the dominant posture the small black pup held. '_Snotlout.' _She practically grumbled in her mind.

Another wolf pup came out from around Ambereyes, looking at them. He was a big pup, not by fat but by muscle. He was shy and held his head down, his tail tucked between it legs.

'_Fishlegs.' _She smiled, happy that she was naming the pups after the gang back on Berk. A pain filled her chest, one of happiness and remembrance. But it was dull, and she pushed it away as if it was never there. She couldn't think about that now.

Astrid's eyes landed on another small pup, she wouldn't have even noticed the pup if Ambereyes hadn't moved and revealed its small figure. She could tell it was a male.

He was very small, smaller than the rest of the pups, she knew he was a runt. His coat was an odd dark brown, his underbelly and a ring around his eyes being a lighter brown, His eyes were a dazzling green, his figure was that of one that radiated small and weak, but his eyes held dangerous intelligence.

She knew that he appeared small, but she also knew that his wasn't one to be messed with. It's always the quiet ones that talk the loudest when they snap. He seemed to look at her with cute docile eyes, ones of innocence and a pleading cry as he tucked his tail even tighter between his legs.

Snotlout came bounding over and jumped on the small pup, smirking as he growled at the runt when he tried to get up.

She couldn't take it anymore. She knew the wolf resembled Hiccup, and while she might have not been able to stop the bullying and teasing that was inflicted upon him on Berk, she could help him now. In a way helping the small runt was like helping Hiccup. This was her pack, and she was not going to let the bullying pass over her like Stoick had.

She growled at Snotlout. The black pup looked at her with confusion, then lightly growled back as he puffed out his chest. It was so like Snotlout! He would always try to be the hero! Stealing everyones bg moment just to make him seem more like a Viking! But she wouldn't stand for it, not anymore.

She snarled and lept forward, pinning the black pup under her hand. She shoved her face next to his muzzle, lookinging into his fear filled eyes as she pressed down on him a little harder.

After a second she let him up. He ran away with his tail tucked between his back legs, his ears down and a whine escaping his mouth.

She looked down at the wolf pup she'd dubbed Hiccup. He threw a glare at Snotlout, but what surprised her was the intensity of the glare.

Hiccup's green eyes seemed to turn a shade darker, the lively spark of yellow and blue masked by the burning hate and anger of pitch black. A snarl played on his lips, his top lip pulled back to reveal a row of surprisingly sharp teeth, his canines looking like they were itching to sink into Snotlout's skin.

She looked at the pup and saw Hiccup. The secret scowls and glares he would throw at Snotlout, the wicked smirks that would unnaturally play on his lips whenever Snotlout was embarrassed or down.

Whenever the looked crossed over his face he turned into something else, something that wasn't himself. Wasn't Hiccup.

It was rare to see him like that, he was always happy and he hid the pain well with his use of sarcasm.

But she knew him better, what he looked like with all the smiles and carefree remarks that made him seem ethereal wasn't him. It was what was inside that was the real Hiccup. The dark part of him that smiled upon things he shouldn't, the true Hiccup that saw not only a greater purpose for his inventions, but a darker one too.

She saw that in the Hiccup back on Berk and she was looking at it right now as she stared into the murder filled eyes of the runt that sat before her, the true side of the pup finally being shown in a mask of anger and blinding hate.

And then it was gone, just like that, gone.

He looked up at her and seemed to smile, letting his small pink tongue hang out of the side of his mouth. She smiled back at the brown pup.

Ambereyes made a crooning sound and a second later all the pups were snuggled up next to her, falling fast asleep.

Ruff and Tuff were snuggled next to each other, playing a game of who could nip the others ear the longest. Snotlout was hogging the biggest space as he was sprawled out, Fishlegs was curled up in a ball as he sucked on his own tail, and Hiccup...was still just sitting there.

She walked over to Snotlout and picked him up by grabbed the scruff of his neck, moving him over to a place next to the twins. He let out a pout of annoyance as he clawed at her, she let out a growl that shut him up.

She then walked over to Hiccup and placed him where Snotlout had been, making sure that he was warm enough as she watched him fall asleep.

When Astrid thought they were all sleeping she made a move to get up, but stopped once she caught site of Hiccup with his eyes open.

He was glaring at a sleeping Snotlout, unaware that she was watching. He seemed to let out a low growl, his eyes seemed like they should be slits instead of docile orbs. But he continued glaring, baring his teeth at the black pup as he once again laid his head down. A deadly smirk playing on his maw as he then dozed off, the smirk still playing on his chops.

She sat there for a moment, surprised at how angry Hiccup had seemed. Bloodfire nudged her, and she finally got up.

Bloodfire walked to the middle of the clearing and threw her head back, letting out the same howl that she'd sung the other day when sending the hunting parties out.

Not a second later the pack came crashing through the brush, only this time instead of looking at her they immediately dumped their prey into the tree cave.

When they were done they sat and looked at her, heads tilted and tongues lolling out of the sides of their foaming mouths. They looked exhausted, but she could see the pure energy sparkling in their eyes.

She walked into the tree cave and looked at the pile. It looked the same as it did the last time she saw the pile, only this time it was bigger. The first time they caught their prey it had been too much, and they'd had leftovers, so the leftovers added to the pile of fresh food.

She picked out a normal sized fox and walked out of the tree cave, fox in hand as she held the dead animal by the tail.

She sat under the branch and started skinning the fox as she watched Bloodfire walk into the tree cave and come out with a raccoon and a squirrel in her jaws.

Bloodfire walked over to her and started gnawing on the squirrel's head, successfully splitting the small skull in two as she then moved onto the legs.

Nightcloud came over to them with three birds and a muskrat in his mouth. He quickly gobbled up the first bird and licked his chops, moving onto the second one but eating a little slower.

Astrid had just finished skinning the fox as Nightcloud sat down next to her.

She looked up to see none other than Ambereyes walking into the tree cave and coming out dragging a baby Elk.

Her eyes went wide. Ok she had _not _seen that coming. How did they even manage to take one down? She shook her head in amazement.

Ambereyes went over to the pups and set the baby Elk down, panting slightly as she laid down next to the carcass.

She unconsciously gutted the fox while she watched Ambereyes, not even aware of Bloodfire and Nightcloud who lapped up the crimson liquid before it even touched the ground.

She watched the pups and Ambereyes eat, her body unknowingly cooking the fox's meat as she did so.

Ambereyes chewed into the Elk's chest, eating the liver and asserting her dominance at what she ate and how she ate.

Snotlout pounced onto the baby Elk's head, tearing up flesh as he let out a small victorious howl and gouged out the Elk's eyeballs.

Fishlegs happily chomped on the Elk's stomach, chewing a mouthful of meat and biting into the stomach once more before he could even swallow.

Ruff and Tuff were kicking around one of the Elk's hooves they had manage to gnaw off, cuffing each other and nipping at each other to see who could keep the hoof.

Hiccup stood off to the side, glaring at Snotlout as he hung his head down, waiting for scraps like any Omega would.

It hit her like a hammer to the stomach. He was the Omega. She was the Alpha, Bloodfire was the Beta, Nightcloud was the Delta, the rest of the pack were in the middle, and little Hiccup was the runt, the Omega. Just like the Hiccup she'd left on Berk.

She shook her head, but it was true. He'd admitted she was his only friend, and she was the one who protected him from the bullies. She wasn't just his only friend besides Fishlegs, she was his protector. And with her gone, would the twins and Snotlout take the advantage and beat him up?

She buried her head in her hands. What kind of fate had she resigned him to? Guilt overcame her.

She raised her head again and bit into her cooked meat, the sudden burst of flavor that danced across her tongue made her snap back to attention, bringing her back down to earth.

She chewed on her meat, watching as one by one the wolves walked into the tree cave and came out with food, settling down as they ate. She smiled and continued to eat, forgetting all about Hiccup and what she'd left him to face the moments he left.

When she was done eating she wiped her hands against her clothes, getting up and walking over to the pile of wood she'd found she'd never needed. She picked up her axe and cut out small pieces from the wood, fitting them into the gaps that were in between the branches.

It wasn't easy, and when she was done her hands were sore and she had a few splinters in her hands. She bit down on the end of a splinter, pulling with her teeth and successfully yanking the sliver of wood out of her palm. Bloodfire winced as a small trickle of blood ran down Astrid' hand.

When she pulled out the last sliver she laid back and threw her arms out on either side of her, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

She took in another deep breath, gulping in the cool refreshing air greedily, the kind of air she had never tasted on Berk.

Herr she was free. No responsibilities, no rules, no fighting dragons and Dire Wolves every night. She looked at the wolves around her. Free.


	7. Newborn Pups

One of Berk's most feared enemies snuggling next to her at night, protecting her, listening to her, hunting for her, obeying. Savage beats, listening to her every command. What would Berk think of her now?

She shook her head. She'd always been different, always would be different. It was in her nature, some were born the way she was, some weren't. Being with the wolves felt like home.

She could be herself with them. No words needed to be spoken and no fights needed to be fought everyday. On Berk it was a land of kill or be killed, here it was peace.

There were no challenges and no pointless bloodshed. There was no need to add to the vast ocean of blood that had been shed by the Vikings who had died, especially when her father's blood added to that.

There was a chance of peace with the Dire Wolves, her and her pack were living proof of that. She could go back to Berk, show them what they had missing all their lives, but she couldn't. For one once the wolves showed themselves they'd be killed, and that would be more blood spilt.

The other reason was that what she was feeling right then and there, was all too familiar, all to painful.

She'd felt what she was feeling when she almost touched the Nadder, she'd almost bonded with the cruel beast, and how that turned out was a lost life and a dead body, the dead one not being the Nadder.

She knew she could actually trust the wolves, seen as she'd already bonded with them, but could she really? Sure they hadn't killed her, but that didn't mean they wouldn't. They were animals, animals who hunted and killed everyday. who's to say she wasn't their next meal?

She shook her head. She was being stupid.

She looked at the pack of wolves who lazily bathed in the last rays of sunlight, eyes closed and tongues out, they didn't look like mindless savages who would kill her. They wouldn't kill her, she was their Alpha.

Astrid watched as the slight pink and blue streaks in the sky were consumed by black as the stars came out, shining down on the clearing.

All the wolves got up to lay down around her, but she also got up. She climbed up the tree and watched as the wolves then laid around the tree once more, as if protecting her from some unseen threat.

Bloodfire looked up at her with side eyes, her ears drooped in an attempt to make her look cute. She sighed and jumped down from the tree, being careful not to land on any other wolves who were already fast asleep.

Bloodfire visibly lit up and wagged her tail. She rolled her eyes and boosted up the red Dire Wolf so she could enter the tree hut.

She climbed in after the wolf and laid down next to her.

Bloodfire made a move to lick her face again, but she backed up, glaring a warning at the wolf who just huffed and went to sleep.

She tried to go to sleep like the wolves around her, but she found she couldn't.

Astrid looked up at the sky, her gaze landing on a particularly bright star that she could only guess faced North.

She looked at the star for a while, letting the cold air brush past her and whip her blonde hair around. She smiled and laid her head down.

The wind danced through the trees and seemed to whistle a calming tone to her, and with the sound forging her mind, she finally went to sleep.

* * *

><p>Elsa looked up at what she'd learned was the North Star.<p>

It was shining down on her in a blinding glow, as if trying to persuade her into heading North instead of South.

Her train of thought was broken when she heard a slight whimper off to her right. Turning around her eyes landed on Anna, said little sister's face was masked with a scared and fearful expression.

She sighed. Must be another nightmare. Ever since they'd left Anna had been having nightmares, dreams of horrible things happening to them. She'd always have to assure the little girl that none of the things she saw in her dreams would never happen in real life, though she knew her words didn't calm her sister.

She walked over to her sister and wrapped her arms around her small figure, rubbing her hands up and down Anna's arms in an attempt to keep her sister warm. She silently scolded herself for being stupid and not bringing any blankets.

Her eyes landed at the sight of a certain redhead, but what was on her head wasn't hair, it was a _mane. _There was no other word.

Merida was snuggled up next to Angus, the horse's head acting as a pillow for his young rider. She'd noticed Merida and Angus were very close, the horse loyal and stubborn, just like its rider, minus the loyal part.

She looked at Rapunzel. The girl was curled up next to Merida, a peaceful look on her face as her long blonde hair wrapped around her like a blanket.

The redhead had taken a certain liking to the blonde, acting like an overprotective sister if Rapunzel so much as snagged her dress on a thorn bush.

Looking back at the sky she watched as the stars seemed to look down on her, either bidding her good luck on her journey or frowning down upon her.

She listened to the wind and watched as the leaves swayed back and forth to the breeze. She closed her eyes, slowly opening them when sleep didn't find its way to her.

She got up and walked around the small clearing they had chosen as their campsite and temporary resting place.

Why had she agreed to go this...this stupid trip? Was she insane?! What had she been thinking, putting Anna in harms way when all she wanted was to protect her?! She was such an idiot, she hated it when she had random stupid moments...uh not that she had them often.

But still, how could she? Yes her and Anna had found the Land Lover and the Freedom Searcher, but what if it was all a lie? A trick to lure the Princesses of Arendelle into the hands of some thiefs or mentally insane people who would kill them and skin them, using their skin as a pelt or to hang on their wall as decoration!

Ok she was getting a little ahead of herself, but she couldn't help it. She was so mad at herself, so mad at Merida, a little mad at Rapunzel, and sorry for Anna. Sorry she'd dragged her little sister into the mess of whatever they were doing.

She could feel the anger building up inside of her, the frustration and hate, and pain, and confusion, and blinding red hot worry. Worry that she'd made the biggest mistake of her life. She was willing to die, death did not loom over her like it did to others.

But her sister's death scared her, scared her beyond belief. She was scared, afraid, afraid of being the cause for any harm that came to Anna. Scared that she would be the cause of her sister's death.

The fear slipped past her calm demeanor, crashing through the walls she'd built up her whole life, she crashing down before her eyes, opening up her vulnerable soul like a sore wound.

It filled her veins, freezing her blood in an agonizing pain as it then slipped past her fingertips, coming out in a violent stream of deadly sharp ice that shot out and pierced a tree.

She pulled back and held her hand close to her chest, a new kind of fear replacing her old one. She raised an eyebrow and let out a shaky breath.

It she couldn't sleep, she may as well practice.

Elsa let the anger flow, let it shoot past her in a blur of ice and cold frost. The air around her felt thing, but to her it was more breathable. The cold air was pleasant to her, numbing her yet not actually touching her skin. The cold never bothered her.

She shot out ice everywhere, letting small snowflakes fall around her as happiness consumed her. She tried to think up more anger so she could hoot out more ice and snow, but she found that she couldn't.

She looked down at her hands confused. Anger seems to be what triggered her powers, so if she ran out of anger, did she run out of ice to? She sighed, it made sense. And what a shame, she was just starting to have fun.

She walked back over to Anna and laid down next to her sister, letting the sleep she wanted so desperately consume her.

When she woke, she found that everyone was already awake.

" Get up ya wee lassie, were leavin' with or without you. " Merida spoke, her tone only partly joking.

Over the days Merida's accent had been showing more, taking on her voice as her once clear words were muddled by her accent. Her scottish accent had always been there, but it was growing. And it was so annoying.

She wanted nothing more than to strangle the redhead, the only word she could find to describe the feeling was pure hate. But she couldn't. For one she was the Freedom Searcher and second, it would be very unladylike.

She didn't know why she hated Merida, it wasn't clear. But what she did know was that it was pure seething hate she held for the younger girl. A feeling she knew she wasn't suppose to ever bear.

She got up and started heading South, a whisper of a feeling driving her forward. The feeling turning inside her stomach and thumping against her chest. She didn't know how she knew, but she just did.

The Controller Of Four was close.

The walked for days more, the hours stretching for what seemed like months. No one talked, the silence filled with the whistles the birds sang and the croaks that the frogs gave out.

A week past, then one day, another, and another. She wanted to give up, buts he couldn't. Not because she wanted to keep going, no, far from it. What made her stop dead in her tracks, freeze in the spot with wide eyes was the sight before her.

A whole pack of Dire Wolves surrounded her, closing her in and leaving no room for escape. The wolves parted and out walked what looked like the Alpha.

A red Dire Wolf.

* * *

><p>Astrid woke up. She opened her eyes only to find her vision being blurred by a pink...thing. She pulled back right before Bloodfire's tongue could meet her face, the saliva from the wolf dripping just inches in front of her face.<p>

She smirked at the red Dire Wolf and jumped down from her tree hut, Bloodfire close behind as the pads on her paws as her light weight made her silent.

The pack was awake, patiently waiting for the command to go and hunt. Bloodfire threw back her head, but before she could howl Astrid stopped her with a grunt.

The red wolf looked at her with a questioning look, but then lowered her head until it was back at its normal position.

Astrid then threw back her head and howled.

While on Berk she'd become pretty good at mimicking the wolves howls, and she knew what kind of howl Bloodfire did when she sent out the hunting parties.

Her howl was pretty good, good enough so that her pack got the idea and ran off into small groups to hunt.

Astrid smiled and then sat down under the branch, Bloodfire sitting down next to her. She sat there for a few minutes then got up and climbed up into her tree hut. Bloodfire tried to follow her, but settled by just sitting at the base of the old willow.

She sat there for a few more minutes than sighed, she was bored.

She jumped down from the tree and walked up to one of the apple tree, Bloodfire following close behind with her tail wagging and her eyes shining.

She plucked an apple from one of the branches and hesitantly took a bite. She'd eaten apples on Berk, but they were always clean, what she was eating was a wild apple. She mentally snorted. Yes, a _wild _apple.

It was hard on the outside, the peeling tasting slightly bitter as she then bit through the peel. Juicy liquid filled her mouth, the soft apple's insides filling mouth as she chewed contently. She loved it when they were soft.

She ate the apple, taking a handful of the red fruits when she was done. Taking them back to the tree she threw them into her tree hut, climbing in afterwards.

One of the branched split off before the others, leaving a small flat area for her to do stuff on, kind of like a desk. On the root desk, as she called it, she placed the apples.

She went back and forth from the apple trees to the old willow, stacking the fruits on her root desk for fun as she tried to decorate her tree hut.

When she was done she nodded and smiled, jumping down from her tree hut and slowly walking over to Ambereyes and the pups.

The twins were fighting as usual, Fishlegs sleeping, and Snotlout was...no where to be seen. Huh, Ambereyes didn't look worried so she just shrugged it off, looking around for a certain brown pup with forest green eyes.

Hiccup came running at her, cute eyes ablaze with happiness as a slight wolf smiled played on his maw.

Astrid smiled and picked him up, tickling his stomach as she did so. He yipped in glee and tried to squirm out of her grip, failing as his pink tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth.

A sudden snore caught her attention and she turned to look at Fishlegs who was turned over, drool dripping from the side of his mouth. She shook her head and smiled.

She set Hiccup down and let him run a little, only letting him get a few feet before she once again tackled him in a playful manner and batted at him playfully.

Feeling eyes boring holes into her back she turned to see Bloodfire looking at her with a smug look on her face. Astrid scowled and rolled her eyes playfully, giving the wolf a look that said, '_Hey I beat you in a fight, don't think I won't do it again. Hah, not so smug anymore now are you?'_

Bloodfire huffed and looked away, flicking her tail in annoyance. Astrid just smiled smugly. She was about to go back to playing with Hiccup, until Snotlout showed up.

The black pup bounded up to them, shoving Hiccup out of the way and pinning the small pup to the ground. Hiccup tried to get up but he was to weak. Snotlout puffed out his chest and looked at her with an all too familiar and hated gleam in his eyes.

She narrowed her eyes and growled at him, it was menacing and void of any joking tone.

The other pups looked at them, their attention caught by the growl emanating from their Alpha. Ambereyes looked up, tilting her head as she watched the two of them.

Snotlout seemed baffled at the fact that he was being growled at, clearing used to being the center of attention. She just rolled her eyes, of course.

Snotlout's gripped unconsciously loosened slightly and Hiccup took that to his advantage.

Hiccup pushed his front paws against Snotlout's chest, making the black pup lose his balance and pinning him under his small figure. He shoved his muzzle in front of the other wolf's, letting a savage snarl rumble from his chest and slip through the cracks of his bared teeth, tiny yet sharp.

Snotlout's eyes were wide, his maw open in a matter of shock as he did nothing. As if getting his senses back he growled, though it was nothing compared to what Hiccup had let out.

Ruff and Tuff had stopped playing, watching intently at the scene in front of them, both probably hoping for some blood and torn flesh.

Fishlegs was awake, his legs shaking at the sight before him as he stared with wide, fear filled eyes.

Ambereyes just watched, no emotion on her face, though her eyes lit up with happiness. Probably at the fact that Hiccup was standing up to Snotlout.

It pained her, seeing Hiccup stand up to Snotlout even though she knew that on Berk it would probably never happen.

Snotlout pushed at Hiccup while he growled, slowly flipping them over so that he would once again be on top. But that's when she saw it.

Hiccup's eyes flared with anger and hate. Pure, blood thirsty hate. His bared teeth seemed to grow sharper, his baby canines turning into deadly weapons at his disposal. His soft forest green eyes turned sharp, growing shades darker as the barely visible yellow and blue flecks seemed to glow.

Hiccup bunched up his legs muscles and pulled back his upper lip, taking in a deep breath and then letting go. He shoved Snotlout into the ground, the amount of force making a little bit of dirt fly. He snarled once more, only no venom was held back as the sound seemed to send ripples throughout the forest floor and rumble through the woods like thunder.

Snotlout stared wide eyes, disbelief written across his face as he slowly lowered his head, his angry eyes clashing against his defeated figure.

Hiccup puffed out his chest a little, letting out one last growl before getting off the black pup.

Snotlout got up slowly, his tail tucked between his legs as his ears were laid down flat, his gaze fixed on the grass beneath his.

Hiccup raised his head and let his tail go high, his ears shot upward in a stance of a leader. And that he was.

She smiled, huffing and grunting at the brown pup whose eyes brightening up with the joy she was showing, she knew well enough that she was praising him.

Snotlout's eyes filled with anger, but he stayed put.

Ruff and Tuff looked disappointed at the fact that there was no blood, they then started to once again play with each other, nipping and yipping like there was no tomorrow.

Fishlegs was in awe, his eyes as wide as the baby Elk's hoof had been. She could see his muscle loosen up, his body relaxing slightly as he let his tail be seen. She knew he was at ease knowing Snotlout wasn't in charge anymore.

Guilt raked its savage claws down her body once more though, thoughts of the real Hiccup on Berk being beaten by Snotlout filling her mind. She snapped her eyes open, she would fix everything. Once she got back, everything would be fine. She nodded to herself.

Bloodfire came up to her, eyes darting back from the forest to her. She nodded back in understanding as she threw her head back and let out a howl that called the pack back.

The pack came running back to the clearing, animals and rodents of all shaped and sized held in their maws.

They dumped them in the tree cave and watched her, waiting for their Alpha to take her pick in the prey pile.

Astrid walked over to the cave tree and entered, coming back out with a plump muskrat in her hands.

She sat down under her branch and started the process of skinning the big rodent, watching as Bloodfire walked into the tree cave and came out with two raccoons. She raised an eyebrow at the sight. Two raccoons? Why would Bloodfire need so much food?

Astrid looked at the red Dire Wolf and tried to see anything that would hint as to why she was eating so much. Maybe she was sick? Then her eyes landed on the wolf's plump belly.

More food? Big belly? That could only mean one thing. Her eyes widened as a grin spread across her face. Bloodfire was going to have pups!

She looked around, trying to find out who the father was. Bloodfire sat down next to her, soon followed by Nightcloud who had a fox a squirrel in his jaws.

She thought back to how Bloodfire and Nightcloud had been acting around each other. Nightcloud would give her nuzzles, occasionally looking at her belly with caring eyes. He'd often been reluctant to go hunting, becoming attached to Bloodfire.

Nightcloud was the father. Her smile widened. And by the looks of Bloodfire's belly, the pups were due soon, very soon.

She smiled a little as she bit into her cooked meat. Wait...cooked? She looked down at the cooked muskrat. it had been skinned and gutted...by her...and she hadn't even known it! She shook her head and continued eating.

* * *

><p>Blood bathed the forest floor like a second layer of grass as the shocked expression on her face turned into one of disgust.<p>

Astrid made a move to wipe the sweat on her forehead away with the back of her hand, the result being a wet liquid streaking across her forehead.

She looked down at her hands. They were barely visible under the layer of dried and fresh blood that coated them.

She could feel the contents in her stomach turning, a muddled feeling building up inside of her as her stomach started to lurch, her throat gagging in reaction.

She turned away and made a sloppy attempt to pull her loose blonde hair away from her face, the contents of her small breakfast spilling across the ground.

She wiped her mouth and spit out any remaining traces of vomit, fully aware of the blood that smeared across her lips and filled her mouth. She gagged as a shiver crawled up her spine.

A howl of pain rippled through the air, snapping her back to attention at the scene in front of her.

She rushed to Bloodfire's side, the Dire Wolf's red coat mixing with the pool of crimson liquid around her and making it look as if she were coated in a second skin of blood and death.

Bloodfire's breaths were slow and raspy, a whimper of pain slipping past the wolf's maw ever so often.

She watched as the wolf howled in pain once more, frustrated at the fact that she could do nothing to ease her friend's suffering.

She clenched and unclenched her hands, her fingernails driving into her palm and releasing a small stream of red liquid that traveled across her palm and softly landed on the already bloodstained grass underneath her.

Her knuckles were white, her body going numb as she felt an unfamiliar feeling bubble up inside of her, the feeling mixing with the odd pleasure that came from the fact that she was biting into her lip so hard blood started to fill her mouth, the coppery taste soothing her body. She bit down harder.

Knots filled her stomach, twisting and turning as her scarred heart felt numb pain, the feeling brushing over the still fresh wounds that littered her form her father's death.

The only time she'd felt something even similar to what she was feeling was when her father died, the blinding anger and red hot hate that had boiled inside her was only a sliver similar to what she was feeling then and there.

It was different, in a way. When her father had died it'd been hate, hate that had fueled her and blurred her mind, driving her body past any limit she'd exceeded when training. But the feeling that bring inside of her wasn't one of hate, but of protection.

Astri had only been in the pack for barely a week, and yet she called them her family, the only family she had left. She considered Bloodfire her sister, and it enraged her that she could do nothing to stop the pain the red Dire Wolf was experiencing.

Bloodfire howled again, the sound ringing in her ears and bouncing off the sappy nothingness, ricocheting through the forest.

A second later a wet ball of matted fur was behind Bloodfire. Ambereyes wrapped her tail around the newborn pup in a protective manner as she awaited the next pup.

Astrid smiled. Bloodfire was finally giving birth. With all that was happening she had some to two conclusions.

One being that she was ecstatic at the sight of the newborn pup, the thought of being a kind of Aunt to the furball making her smile widen.

The second conclusion she'd come to was a fairly simple one, a fact that she had settled on the moment Bloodfire had fell to the ground and howled in pain and shock.

She was _never..._having kids.

Yes she was only six, but she was still old enough to know that he didn't want kids. The Viking mothers on Berk had said it only hurt for a minute, Bloodfire had been like that for _hours._ She shook her head. Berk, what a home of liars.

She stilled. Berk, a home of liars? She'd just downgraded her Island, her home. No-not her home, not anymore. Sure she'd go back...someday, but not for a while. She needed to get used to the thought of the forest being her home, the pack being her Tribe, her family.

Bloodfire yowled in pain once more, her blood red and fire orange eyes snapping open as they sparkled with the frantic flash of fear. Her orbs darted back and forth from nothing, her eyes glazed over with that of weariness and fatigue.

The red Dire Wolf squeezed her eyes shut and let out a howl, her top lip pulled back in a snarl as another wet ball of fur appeared behind her, Ambereyes quickly whipping out her tail and tucking the pup close to her as she waited once more.

Bloodfire just panted, her eyes rolling up into her head as closed her eyes and laid her head back down, her tongue sticking out of the side of her mouth, her chest heaving.

And then said wolf passed out.

It wasn't surprising, she'd just given birth to two healthy pups, laying on the ground in pain for hours to no end. She deserved the rest.

But fear consumed Astrid for a second, her scattered thoughts and chaotic mind thinking up the crude idea of Bloodfire being dead.

The red Dire Wolf's chest slowly moved up and down, her breath catching a the sound remarked one of a silent wheeze.

She sighed in relief and closed her eyes, letting the blood on her body slowly run down her figure and splay across the forest floor once more.

She heard a small white, snapping her eyes open as her gaze landed on the figure of Ambereyes, her tail securely wrapped around the two breathing pups.

The pack was surrounding Bloodfire, supporting her the whole time, not moving until all the pups had been born.

She smiled at the sight of her pack, ignoring the blood and the stagnant stench the red liquid radiated.

She grunted at Ambereyes and the pups, motioning with her head to the area under the long, single branch that she usually sat under.

Sitting under the shade of the long branch were Ruff, Tuff, Fishlegs, and Hiccup.

Ruff and Tuff were curled around each other, occasionally opening their eyes and biting each other's ears.

Fishlegs looked uncomfortable being away from Ambereyes, sitting with his head and ears down as he tried to stay as far away from Snotlout as possible. Though she noticed he did look more relaxed ever since Hiccup became the new leader of the small group of pups.

Snotlout was sprawled out onto his back, his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth as his expression was one of boredom. He yawned as his ear twitched slightly, a small snore rippling through the air. He opened and closed his eyes, before turning over and walking next to the tree, raising his left back leg as he did his puppy business.

She looked away in disgust, her eyes landing on a certain brown was looking right at her, his intelligent green eyes seemingly boring a hole into her very soul. Yet she didn't look away. His eyes caught hold of her, gripping her tightly as he mercilessly trapped her in his gaze, holding her prisoner and throwing away the key.

She knew she should look away, needed to look away, but she couldn't. His gaze was ranking his status in a silent whisper, the fact that he wasn't looking away symbolizing in a challenging manner. So she continued starring.

Astrid straightened up a little, looking down at the small wolf pup as she added the sharp tips of ice in her gaze to transform it into a glare.

He looked away, she smiled.

No one was ever able to stare into her eyes for too long. She was aware of the power her gaze held, the intensity of her smallest and most simple glares.

She used that to her advantage, when she wanted something she used her eyes. The Vikings on Berk always told her she was beautiful, her fury filled icy eyes untameable. She used her natural beauty to get what she wanted, filling any Viking's mind with fog and making them sill information by just looking at them.

With older Vikings she used her childish charm, batting her eyelashes and using her sweet voice. But that was always less effective. She would use her eyes, when she did she always got what she wanted when she did.

Ambereyes slowly made her way to under the branch, the newborn pups held gently in her jaws by the scruffs on their neck.

Astrid turned to her pack, every single one of them either looking at Ambereyes, Bloodfire or her.

She ran towards the tree cave, motioning for her wolves to follow. When s he got there she pointed at the food grunting and huffing which roughly translated into _Away._

They wasted no time and each took a dead animal in their jaws, dropping them into a new pile as they then went back in and out until the tree cave was void of any prey.

When they were done she then led AMbereyes and all the pups into the now empty tree cave. She then ran towards Bloodfire, the wolf stumbling and panting as she tried to get up and get to her pups.

Astrid put a hand on the red Dire Wolf's neck, trying to calm her friend down as she helped Bloodfire to her feet.

Bloodfire got up, slowly making her way over to the tree cave. When she got there she laid down besides Ambereyes, and exhausted look on her face.

Bloodfire and her pups would be in the tree cave for a while, that meant that they couldn't put their food there, she'd have to find another place for the wolves to make their prey pile.

She looked at where the pack had restacked the dead animals. Seeing it was next to the tree and next to the branch she nodded and decided that it would be a good place as ever. It would be the new prey pile stack place.

She looked back at the tree caev, 'tree cave' didn't sound too cozy for a place that would become Bloodfire's home and her pup's home, so she decided to rename it the Nursery Den.


	8. Overprotective

It'd been a few days since Bloodfire had had her pups, the small fur balls growing more reckless and troublesome everyday.

One was female and one was male.

The male was pitch black like Nightcloud, except he was void of any gray, instead he was as black as the night sky, perfect for blending in with the cover of night. His eyes were black like his dads, flecks of red and orange mixed in and glowing if reflecting the light of the moon.

The female on the other hand, was something else.

She was pitch black, her muzzle to her chest, underbelly, front left paw, and underlining her tail was a deep blood red, redder than her Bloodfire's color. Above her eyes were two red dots, a hoop of red ringing the top half of her right leg. Her eye were an unbelievable red, fury orange and flecks of black mixed into the transfixing orbs, but that was her left eye. Her right eye was a dark yet light icy blue, specks of yellow and green mixed in.

She'd been surprised at that, more shocked at the fact that the single eye looked a lot like the Deadly Nadder's eye who'd killed her father. But she just shook it off.

They hadn't opened their eyes yet, seeing as they were only days old, so she'd had to pry their eyelids open, though not harming them in the process.

Bloodfire was very protective of her pups, only letting Ambereyes and Astrid near them, she let Nightcloud near buts he watched him like a hawk.

The pups weighed about two to six pounds, and growing heavier everyday. they drank milk from their mother, meaning Bloodfire had to eat a lot.

The pups wouldn't be able to open their eyes for three weeks, and they wouldn't be allowed to tag along on hunts until they were twelve weeks old, meaning Bloodfire would be stuck in the Nursery Den for a while.

Nightcloud had been clingy lately, not wanting to go off and hunt but rather stick around the clearing, a protective look featuring his body.

She'd been hanging around the Nursery Den a lot also, not wanting to leave Bloodfire's side. Sometimes she would play with the older pups, though they were older just by a couple months or so.

She sat in the den, playing with Hiccup, a smile on each of their faces.

A loud and violent howl split through the air, suddenly she stiffened. She'd heard the same howl more than enough times to know what it meant. Attack.

She shot up to her feet, grunting at Ambereyes to stay and watch over to the pups as she ran out of the den, surprise to find Bloodfire at her side.

She tried to get the red Dire Wolf back into her den, back with her pups, but to no avail. The wolf was stubborn, and she wouldn't leave Astrid's side.

Nightcloud, who'd been hanging around the den, came up next to them, a determined and protective look on his face. Oh no, she wasn't leaving Ambereyes alone to watch over the pups.

She grunted and huffed at him, telling him to stay. He looked at her shaking his head as he grunted back. She narrowed her eyes and growled, baring her teeth. He didn't have an option.

He reluctantly took a step back, walking back into the den after giving Bloodfire a caring look.

The two female looked at each other, nodding and running through the brush. They brushed through the treeline, going to the place where the howl was heard.

Astrid was fast, but she wasn't any match for Bloodfire, and soon the red Dire Wolf was out of her sight. She could see her pack inches away, but she halted to a stop one she saw what was going on.

The pack were surrounding four girls, Bloodfire in the front as if leading the assault. The wolf had her top lip curled back in a violent snarl, her razor sharp teeth gleaming as he unsheathed claws left deep marks in the soft dirt.

The four girl were scared, she then looked at them more closely.

One of the girl was a redhead, in her hand she held a bow, her crazy red hair sticking up everywhere as fear flickered across her green and blue orbs. She wore a blue and green dress, simple but fancy.

Another girl was blonde, her hair so long that it dragged behind her, she shook her head, not knowing how the hair didn't have one grain of dirt clinging to it. She wore a pink dress, cute and totally childish.

Another little girl was standing there, fear alight in her face as her green eyes were wide. She sucked in a breath, green eyes...just like Hiccup's. She shook her head. She was a brunette, her hair split into two neat braids, one resting on each wore more of a nightgown, it was yellow and white and brimmed with beautiful cloth.

Then her eyes landed on the last girl.

She had platinum blonde hair, her hair held in a neat braid as her bangs reached just above her left eye. She wore a blue dress, elegantly trimmed with blue lace and white details, very fancy. Her eyes were icy cyan blue, a glare held in her orbs as she eyed the blood red wolf in front of her. But what surprised her the most was what was on the girls fingertips.

Sharp icicles started from her fingertips, ending in a sharp needle point as her gaze turned murder filled, her mouth held in a scoff and a mix of a snarl as she stepped in front of the brunette.

She then noticed that the two looked alike. They had the same cheeks, their eyes holding the same glow, the round jaws, the perfect face. They were obviously royalty, all of them. She'd know it anywhere. The strong posture, the clothes, and the style of their hairdos.

But her gaze focused back on the ice on the girl's fingers, then she saw a flicker of movement to her left.

Bloodfire took a step forwards, snarling and spitting as her hackles were raised, her eyes gleaming with nothing she'd ever seen. Instinct, pure protective instinct. The same thing she saw in the older blonde's eyes.

Bloodfire was protecting her pack and pups, the blonde protecting what she was guessing was her sister.

She looked closer yet again, noticing that all four looked alike. All four were related!

Bloodfire took another step forward, the pack stepping with her. She could see something in the red Dire Wolf snap, could see the loss of focus in her eyes, the thick fog that muddled the wolves eyes as bubbles of saliva ran down her maw.

Bloodfire lept at the girl. The blonde sidestepped, grabbing the brunette's arm so that the Dire Wolf didn't land on her instead. The crimson wolf looked at her, a wild and crazed look in her eyes. She slept again, and Astrid new it was time to intervene.

But before she could the blonde ran and the other followed. Her eyes widened, they were heading towards the clearing. The pups!

The wolves ran after the girls, Astrid breaking through the brush and running with them. Her legs were going faster than she'd ever willed them, her breath never catching as her heart skipped so fast she couldn't hear it.

The world around her was a violent blur of green, her eye fixed on the four girls in front of her. Man, how fast could they ran with those dresses on? Obviously fast.

The girls never looked back, they just kept running. Then they burst through the treeline that led to the clearing. She ran, but hid behind the treeline, not knowing what she should do, so she watched.

Nightcloud came rushing out of the den, Ambereyes peeking up from behind him, the pups behind her.

Nightcloud's eyes narrowed at the sight of the four girls, he growled as he stalked forward. Ambereyes also growled, but stayed with the pups who tried to growl and howl, though it sounded too adorable to be noticed as a last warning.

The girls went back to back, eyes wide as they looked at the wolves that surrounded them.

Nightcloud jumped and pinned the oldest blonde to the ground. Determination crossed her eyes and she pushed him off, punching him in the face as she bared her teeth and _growled._

Everyone was silent, even Astrid was at loss for words or any thought.

Suddenly Bloodfire pounced up from behind the girls, aiming to pin the redhead. The girl turned around and dodged not a second too late. Notching a bow as fast as lightning as she let it fly, a crack sounded through the air, the arrow embedding into Bloodfire's shoulder.

She yowled in pain. Nightcloud snarled and charged, as did the rest of the pack.

The girls ran and unknowingly made their way over to the den. Now Astrid felt slight anger and worry tugging at her. Because of the ice the blonde had been using she knew the girls were the Insecure Sibling, Gentle Sister, Land Lover, and Freedom Searcher. But that was her pack they were fighting, her family, she'd die protecting them, just as her father had died protecting her.

Ambereyes growled and charged at them, aiming for the oldest blonde. Man, what was it with going for the blonde? Did she look tasty to them?

The brunette was in front of her sister in a flash, her eyes closed as her arms were held out in front of her.

All the sudden a stream of fire was released from her palm, consuming Ambereyes in a flurry of flames.

A pain filled howl rung through the air, the jet of flames gone as soon as they'd appeared. Ambereyes fell to the ground, smoke streaming off from her fur as she panted, her scorched fur sizzling as her eyes were closed, her breaths slow.

The brunette just stood there, mouth agape as her eyes were wide, her arms slowly pulling back to her side. The other girls were looking at her, surprise and slight fear in their eyes.

The older blonde took a step back, a different look on her face and in her eyes than that of the others. She looked tired, exhausted, weak, her mind scrambled as she rested a hand against her forehead.

She wondered why the blonde looked disoriented, but then she understood. She bore the element of ice, her sister bearing fire, ice and water's natural enemy. Of course, the use of fire nearby would weaken her, it was her one weakness.

Then the four girls ran into the den in fear, not knowing the pups that were inside.

She felt her insides turn, her shock and anger turning into one of fear and guilt. Why hadn't she helped her pack?! Was she so stupid that she hesitated to protect her only family?!

The pups came running out of the den, all but two. Bloodfire's pups. She hadn't named the pups yet, not coming up with any ideas. She shook her head, that hardly mattered now.

Snotlout was in the front, running and yelping like a trapped dragon as he dashed towards the pack, not even once looking back to see if the others were safely out. A flash of black all to be seen of him.

Fishlegs was behind him, running as fast as a speedstinger as his wild-eyes were filled with fear.

The twins were running next to each other, a happy look on their faces as their tongues lolled out of the sides of their mouths, visibly happy at the sight of the pack looking ready to murder.

Hiccup was behind them all, looking back from each of them to make sure they were ok, like a true leader would. He suddenly stopped and whirred around, finding that the two newest pups weren't running with him. He turned around, a determined look on his face as he then dashed back into the Nursery Den.

* * *

><p>It was cold, a new feeling from when he'd been inside his mother, and then it was warm, a soft feeling wrapping around him. It was a bumpy ride, one he didn't prefer, but soon he was warm again, his mother's tongue running down his back and cleaning him.<p>

He knew days went by, days of silence and the feeling of warmth, different from his mother's but warm all the same. He couldn't hear, couldn't see, but tasted his mother's fresh milk, sniffed at stagnant air.

He could taste, and his sense of smell was getting better everyday. His eyelids were always heavy, no sight being seen by his eyes as the weight on his eyelids cept the shut. Soon he'd be able to walk, he could feel the muscles in his body growing, the energy in him, building up for the day he could bound around like a real pup.

He was first born, Alpha to his younger sibling who he was sure bumped him on purpose so she could get the best spot for the milk.

She was smaller than him, that much he could tell. She curled up next to their mom at nights, huddling close to each other when the warmth from the larger wasn't enough.

He knew he should hate her, the feeling was hidden in the back of his mind, big brother instinct as he decided to call it, but he couldn't bring himself to hate her. His feeling for her were different, were...protective.

He didn't just sleep by her every night for extra warmth, he slept next to her every night for the simple fact that he wanted to protect her. He wrapped her tail around her when she was asleep, growling softly into the night to ward off any unseen threats that crept around their den, he knew they were there, he could smell them.

He constantly kept track of where she was, always watching her by tracking her smell and trying to see if he could open his eyes and see his sister, to finally get an idea of what he was protecting, but he never opened his eye.

He stumbled across the den with her whenever he could, trying to keep her still so she couldn't get hurt. He even went to the extreme once, sitting on top of her so she couldn't move, to his surprise she didn't fret, just fell asleep.

He was wary of her, wary of any other pups that came near her. There were other wolves, he could smell them.

One of them smelled funny, not funny but weirdly clean. He could feel the vibrations his steps sent through ground, he was a big one. He could sometimes hear him mews, knowing his voice was shy and gentle, his heart sweet and kind, to big for his small body.

He could smell two others, their smells united as his thought of them blurred and he sometimes mistook them for one wolf. He could tell they were related, twins to be specific. One was female one male, both smelling of glee and wicked fear that was mixed with happiness. Sometimes he smelled blood from them, though the amount suggested they were small wounds, he made sure to keep an eye on his sister whenever they were around, metaphorically of course.

He could smell another pup. He held pride, boasting with confidence as he often heard his loud growls and snarls piercing through the thick layer of nothingness that blurred his hearing. The wolf pup had bit him once, getting angry at him for some stupid reason. He growled back, challenging the pup and protecting his sister whenever he could.

The wolf radiated an odd smell whenever he neared the other female pup, the stagnant smell growing wherever he neared his sister. He could tell it was want, a deep want that he didn't approve of one bit, he could practically see the wolf's lust filled eyes. The wolf pup would saunter around like he owned the place, but he knew he wasn't the leader, he could smell the start marking them, dominance wasn't the one that coated the pup.

He smelled another presence, but it was so weak, so thin that he couldn't tell what the pup was like, or even if it was a pup at all.

He smelled an adult wolf, one that bore milk and the smell of the other pups, even the thin smell of the other wolf. She took care of them, bathing them and feeding them soft flesh when their mom wasn't around. The older wolf was kind, curling her tail around them as if she were their mother.

Then their was their real mom. She smelled of blood and sweat and grime, but the musty smell was hidden under a layer of something else, something sweet. She was caring, growling at any wolf that came close. She bathed them at times, feeding them, her milk being so sweet and thick that he loved it. He made sure his sister ate first, giving her the best spot as he sucked his own milk.

But he noticed something else about her, the smell that overcame any scent she bore, the smell of dominance but not completely in control. Beta. She was the Beta, which meant they were in high status. That was good, at least him and his sister had a secure future.

Then there was another wolf, a male with the lingering smell of their mom. He smelled caring, his growls protective and his whines sweet. His tune was gentle, the smell that had sunken deep into his fur clean as the smell of sweet hung in the air. He smelled of dominance too, he was Delta. But he smelled him and his sister in him. He was family, he was their father.

He focused on those wolves, their smells, the occasional unfamiliar smell drifting through the den and reaching his nose.

Another smell reached his nose one day, one he hadn't smelled before, the scent of a human. He'd quickly learned that she was the Alpha. He was confused as to why a pack would stay in the pack if it was led by a human, he'd thought that maybe the human was making them stay. But then one day he learned they weren't being forced, they stayed with her out of respect.

Another pups scent had been sniffed out by him, the smell thin and almost unnoticeable. It smelled of a small pup, not leader nor runt, but smaller than the others. It was the smell of a male, but of his scent that he sniffed he could tell the pups didn't hang around the others, sticking to the shadows rather than being seen in the night.

Then one day he smelled it, the thin and weak smell growing stronger and stronger as a wolf neared him and his sister, another pup.

He smelled like a runt, weak and smell, his movements barely sending any vibration through the forest floor. But he smelled his dominance, he could feel the way he held himself, the dominant stance he took. He was the leader of the small pack of pups, he was leader, not the lust filled up, the pups answered to him. He was surprised a pup of his size was the leader, but it was what it was.

He loved the his mom, dad, caretaker, and the pups, well all except the lust filled one. But he still steered clear of them, growling at them when they got too close to him or his sister, especially his sister.

He was overprotective of her, very overprotective. So when he heard the howl, smelled the blood, felt the vibrations of the pack running after something, it was his protective instinct that led him to do what he did.

There were four of them, humans. The Alpha was human, but the four who stood before him were different, unfriendly, dangerous. So when he attacked only one thing registered in his mind, only one though filling the black space.

He needed to protect his sister at all costs, and he did.


	9. Till Death Do Us Part

All wolves were born differently, unique in their own way.

Some were born strong, some weak. Some were skilled in hunting, some in fighting, some in both. Some were born leaders like Alphas, Betas, and Deltas. Some were born a runt, the weak link, the Omega.

Most were born skilled, important, all were born unique. Every wolf was strong, some in the mind, some in the body, rarely in both. Maybe one wolf was born smart, maybe one not so, but all special, all unique, all different.

A wolf's place in a pack was mostly decided right when it was born. If they were born big and strong, they looked promising. If they were leaping and walking at a young age, they were looked up to as possible hunters. If they play fighted with other pups and older wolves and won, they were respected as a fighter. If they were born small and weak, they were an Omega.

Some weren't born with that burden, some were just born into the line of Alpha, of a leader. Then and there their fate was decided for them, a pup's life was decided on how they acted just as much as the status their parents held.

Such as her.

Her mother was Beta, second in command, talked back by no one except the Alpha herself. Then there was her father, the Delta, also of high status, no one questioned him except her mom and the Alpha.

If her mom were higher ranked over her father and every other wolf, she'd be the Alpha, but she wasn't. There was someone else. The Alpha was human, and had no pups of her own, so next in line was her mom, and then her, well her and her brother.

She had her fate planned out for her, a high statused and respected life in a strong pack, but that wasn't all.

Every wolf was special, was born different, she defied the word different. She wasn't unique, as far as she was concerned, she was a freak.

Ever since the moment the cold air hit her body, she knew her fate, was something else.

When she touched the ground she'd been scared, not knowing what was happened had scared her, so she'd wished that she could see what was going on around her, and her wish was granted.

A white line had shot through the ground, touching anything and everything around it, illuminating the fearful darkness around into white shapes and images, the black spaces being filled with black.

She'd been scared, she hadn't opened her eyes and she'd seen no color, scared was an understatement.

Her shock and surprise had made her concentration fuzzy, making the white scene around her fade. She was confused and slightly curious. She willed herself to see the shapes and figures again, not a second later the animals and object around her took shape in a blinding white scene.

She saw wolves surrounding a single wolf who was laying on the ground, huffing and panting. She didn't know how she knew but she just did, the wolf in the middle was her mother.

Next to her mother stood a weird animal, four legged back standing on its back only, its two front looking weird as its paws were small but strong.

She held herself high even though she was crouched down next to her mother. She was Alpha. Her chest was puffed out a little, her blue eyes filled with anger and concern. Wait...blue eyes?!

Fear consumed her once again, the loss of focus making the white world around her go black. She took in a deep breath to calm herself down, her small tongue flicking out of her mouth to lick her nose out of wolf habit, then it happened.

Her tongue came back into her mouth, a bittersweet yet warm and thick taste coming with it. The world around her filled with color, the shapes and figures around her returning but less focused, also they were colored.

She could see the wolves black and gray fur, their eyes different colors as they all looked at her mom or the Alpha.

She moved her head, taking in the scene of brown trees and green leaves even though her eyes were still sealed shut. Then all the sudden the color faded, leaving her once again alone in her mind.

She willed herself to see the white lines again as she flicked her tongue absorbing the colors around her as the shapes and figures of the wolves took place once again.

The animals were outlined with the white, their colors taking place and not looking like a jumbled mess. The sight of the wolves was sharp and keen, the colors on her tongue and the white ines catching every single detail and small twig that laid twenty feet away, she could see everything.

She tried to think farther but then she lost sight, her vision filling with blue and the sweet taste of color that made her gag, the world around her fading.

She hear a whine next to her. Wait, a whine? She could taste colors and see the world around her without looking by will and now she could hear! What was wrong with her, she was pretty sure wolf pups had to be months old before they could hear! She was barely ten minutes old.

She turned to face the whine, flicking her tongue out again and willing herself to see. Nexto to her she saw a small pup, about her age. It had its eyes close and its ears drooped, an exhausted look on its face.

She sniffed, her nose catching the scent of blood, familiar blood. It was all around, coming from her mother, but she didn't smell it on the pup, she smelled it inside him. He was male, family, her brother.

Then it hit her, she could smell! What, was wrong with her?!

She mentally huffed, still to weak to make any kind of noise. Then her brother slowly crawled over to her, wrapping his small tail around her and resting hick nose under her neck. She stilled at the feeling, but quickly leaning into it.

She could feel herself being lifted up into the air, the scruff on her neck stretching as she was then set down seconds later.

Willing herself to see she watched as the white outlined the place she was in. It was a big den, tree roots making up the walls as the actually abse and trunk of the tree acted as the shelter above their heads.

Beside her she could see the white outline of five other pups, the bigger outline of an adult wolf adding to the picture.

She let the white continue to illuminate the den as she flicked her tongue out, taking in the colors around her. The dirt was black and brown, some patches of green grass puffing up in random places as the roots were obviously brown.

The adult wolf who had carried her was dark gray on her underbelly, under her tail, and her paws, the rest of her was a lighter gray, almost an invisible white. She tall and sleek, small muscles on her body. She was still young, a few good years to hunt and fight still left in her, she could see it in her eye. But then there was the fact of her eyes, her amber eyes with stray streams of black, yellow, and all kinds of colors running free in the pool of amber.

A wolf pup stood next to her, black coat gleaming as he carried himself high, a smug look on his face. But he didn't raise his tail fully, didn't puff out his chest all the way, he wasn't the leader. She could see the lust that filled his eyes when he neared her, the cruel smell that drifted from him when he licked his chops while looking in her direction, and she was disgusted by it.

His eyes were a dark hazel brown, almost a pitch black whenever the light wasn't on him. The white in her mind and all around her outlined his figure, showing the muscles and his sharp claws, his teeth none to dull either. He would be strong wolf, to bad his ego would be even stronger, it was already bigger the the den she lived in.

the white outline two other wolves, their bodies almost blurring into one as they moved fast and quick, growls and yips heard from them as she sniffed slight blood, dried and fresh. They were gray all around, their and marking on each of their foreheads a clear white. She watched as they butted head, nipping at each other with sharp teeth. They each had gray and silver eyes, black mixed in. They weren't so bright, she didn't need a super sense of smell, hearing, sight, and taste to see that.

The white outlined another pup, the single wolf bigger than the others. He was chunkier, but he was also more muscular, it would come to an advantage one day. He was a light gray all over, the only part of him that was a different color were his eyes, and a beautiful dark green they were.

The white traveled farther, consuming another wolf a little ways away. The pup wasn't in the den, rather outside, far away from the others. He was hidden behind the bushes and the treeline, walking around but not past the point where he couldn't be heard or seen. But even with the distance between them, she could still see, hear, and smell him.

He was dark gray, light gray eyes matching with his coat, the specks of blue and black outlining him perfectly.

The figures of all the wolves that make up the pack filled her mind, the wave of white reaching across the land until it reached the land of vast blue. She could see everything, the trees, bushes, insects, bees, every plant and animal life filled her mind, letting themselves be known to her.

Then she saw it, or rather, her. She stood on the back two of her four legs, looking down on the wolves as she walked around, her front legs swinging at her sides. She walked tall and confident, her chest puffed out as she growled and huffed like a wolf, even though she obviously wasn't one.

She had long loose blonde hair that ran down and met her back, her icy blue eyes fitting perfectly as he hair framed her face. She wore odd furs, metal and weapons visibly on her, her hand grasping a blade tight.

But then she smelled it. The smell of an Alpha. The odd animal which she later learned was called a human, was the leader, the ruler, the queen, the Alpha. And she could tell she was respected by the wolves, the smell of the pack marking her as their own, excepting her into their world.

But then the white consumed another figure, a smaller figure. He was a pup, and she could immediately tell he was different in more than one way.

He was smaller than the others, the runt, the Omega, but something with the way he held himself made her away that he held a status that wasn't one of Omega. His chest was puffed out, his tail and ears held high as he looked down on...her.

He was looking at her-no-looking _down _on her. She didn't know why but she was enraged at the fact that he was showing dominance over her, visibly telling her she was of lower status, when really she wasn't. She was the daughter of the Beta, she ranked over him a million times more than he ranked over a grass hopper.

His fur was a dark and light brown, slight black mixed into it that made him shine when the light raked across his body. His eyes were a transfixing green that was light and dark in some place, shifting whenever he moved, the kind of eyes anybody could find themselves lost inside forever. He moved softly, the vibrations he sent out barely whispers in the wind, his scent unreadable, making him a ghost.

She considered trying to get up, to look down on him and put him in his place, but in the end she thought against it. She wasn't even a day old, and if she started showing that she could crawl, let alone _stand up! _They'd know she was different, or at least the brown one would, honestly he looked like the only smart one there, besides her brother of course.

And then there was that...her brother.

He was slightly bigger than her, muscled even though practically just born. He was pitch black, his fur coat like the night sky itself as his fury red and black speckled eyes stood out like pee on snow, yes a weird comparison but it made a point.

But the thing was, she couldn't see herself, only the objects and animals around her. It was weird, she felt connected to the earth in an unbelievable way and yet, it felt as if she knew nothing. She felt as if she held the secrets of the world in her paws, while holding no knowledge of herself, it made her feel...lonely.

She shook the thought from her head. In time she would be able to see herself.

She saw another figure, one close to the den as the wolf munched on the carcass of some sort of animal. She then realized she was looking at her mother.

She was a dark blood red all over, her underbelly, under her tail, paws, and muzzle a lighter red. Even when laying down her body posture demanded obedience. Her chest was slightly puffed out, her tail flicking into the air ever so often to show her status. She ate with her top lip pulled back slightly, challenging anyone in a silent snarl. Her eyes were blazing red, sharp and keen as fury orange and black flecks were mixed in.

Then the white outlined a male wolf next to her, his head going back and forth as if looking for any preditors, he even occasionally gazed at the den, before looking around him again.

He was pitch black, the color fading into a dark gray on his underbelly, under his tail, and on his paws. His chest was also puffed out, but not by much, his tail held high, but not all the way. He was the Delta, that much she could tell. His eyes were gray, silver and black showing slightly as the sun grazed his shiny orbs.

She sniffed, surprised as her nose seemingly seeked out the scent of the Delta wolf and grasped it, pulling it back to her to analyze it. He smelled like her mother, something inside him also smelling familiar. She then smelled it, she smelled herself and her brother in him. He was her father! Of course he was! Her father was of high status, and he showed high status! She was so stupid sometimes.

She mentally smiled. With her parents being both Delta and Beta, both friends of the Alpha, her and her brother would have a good future. She'd also be able to show her dominance over the runt leader. Her smile grew.

A couple days passed since she was born. Her sense smell and sound grew, the weight on her eyelids decreasing everyday. She knew it was a matter of time before she could see for real, could walk around with no effort. She could crawl and mew, yipping at some points as her teeth and claws grew sharper.

She also noticed her brother growing more protective of her, growling at the other pups when they came too close to him or her.

He bared his teeth a lot, stumbling around to try to follow her around everywhere. He curled up around her every night, also having is back to the den wall as she was trapped between the warmth of her den mother and him. He always let her eat milk first, giving her the best spot that bore the sweetest and most thick milk.

He seemed to sniff for her occasionally, preventing her from crawling out the den by blocking her path. He sat on her once, just to keep her from getting outside, she tricked him to get off her by sleeping. Of course she never did leave the den, but she crawled around, always aware of him seemingly watching her with shut eyes.

Soon they were able to eat meat, true either their den mother or real mother chewed it up for them but they still ate it. It tasted amazing, the juicy liquid inside of it always making the meat more tasty. She loved it, but her brother didn't.

He still ate it, but his nose always scrunched up in disgust, mews of complaint coming from him whenever it entered his mouth. He put up with it, eating to please the other pups and their mom, but sometimes she could see the white outline of him spitting it out, hurting it deep so that no one found it.

It was a normal day that day, they'd drank milk for breakfast, the pack being sent out to catch meat for lunch. She just sat there, waiting for the food. But then she heard it.

It was a call for back p, a sound the wolves made when they found something interesting. She'd heard it before, after that seeing the white outline of them dragging back and Elk or other animal. She thought nothing of it, maybe they'd be eating bore for lunch. She licked her chops, she loved bore.

But then she heard another howl, this one louder nand meant for all the wolves to hear, it was the howl that any sounded when the pack was fighting of a threat. She began to get scared, what was going on?

Her mother, the Alpha, and her dad met up in front of the den, getting ready to fight. The Alpha grunted at her dad, telling him to stay. He stubbornly rejected the command, caving in only once she growled at him.

The Alpha told her den mother to stay, to watch over her and the other pups while they were gone. She could see the white outline of them running through the treeline, her mother a few good feet in front of the Alpha.

With her special sight and hearing she watched as her mother ran from the Alpha's view, to fats for the leader.

She looked ahead to where the pack was, the wolves circling four other creatures that looked a lot like the Alpha.

There was a redheaded one, a weapon in her hand held in her clawless paws. She looked nervous, chancing a glance back into the darkness of the trees around her as if looking for something.

She tilted her head in confusion and sent the wave of white in the direction of where the redhead was looking. A couple miles away she found a horse stomping around, the walls of a small cove keeping him from getting out. Maybe the redhead was the horses owner.

She caught the sight of the Alpha stopping just outside the treeline of where the four...girls were, cocking her head as she took in the sight of them. She looked away from the pack leader and looked back at the four other girls.

One of them was a blonde, her long hair dragging behind her as she stood behind the redhead, her bottom lip quivering as a silent whimper escaped her lips.

From the distance the pack was from her she shouldn't have been able to hear anything from the pack and the four girls, but she'd found that if she concentrate really hard, she could hear things from miles away, miles farther than any wolf should be able to hear.

She looked at a girl with brown hair, she stood next to another girl, fear showing as she tried to hide behind the other girl. But she could see something in her eyes, anger, protectiveness. She didn't know what she saw, but she knew that she wasn't going down without a fight.

Then she looked at the last girl. She noticed that the other three girls looked the same age, but the last one looked older, the same age as the Alpha.

She had blonde hair, her hair held in a way that looked neat and tidy. She took a protective stance in front of the girl with brown hair. Her icy blue eyes seemed to glow with rage as her mouth was held in a straight line, her lips pulling up in an almost visible snarl whenever one of the wolves took a step forward.

But what surprised her most was what was on her paws. Ice grew from her paws, ending in sharp points that could pierce through any flesh. The Alpha was also looking at the ice on the girl paws, a look of realization flickering across her face before disappearing.

Her mother then took a step forwards, snarling and spitting as her hackles were raised, her eyes gleaming with nothing she'd ever seen. Instinct, pure protective instinct. The same thing she saw in the older blonde's and the brunette's eyes.

Her mom took another step forward, the pack also taking a step with her. All the wolves were snarling and growling, ears held back as they pulled back their upper lips to show off their fangs.

Her mom lept at the girl. The blonde sidestepped, grabbing the brunette's arm so that the Dire Wolf didn't land on her instead. Her mother looked at the blonde, a wild and crazed look in her eyes. She lept again, and she knew it was about to get nasty.

But then the oldest blonde ran, the other girls following her. She then realized something, they were heading in her direction, they were heading for the den.

She took a step back and his in the shadows of the cave as she kept on watching the girls, the other pups too absorbed in something else to notice her discomfort.

The pack ran after the girl, her mom and the Alpha in the lead. The wolves held the expression of anger and determination, the Alpha didn too, but her eyes also held fear.

The four girls burst through the treeline, the pack running in a second later as they circled the girls. The Alpha stopped just right behind the treeline, watching.

She was aware of the fight, but she turned off the white light, not wanting to see the brutal bloodshed, but she couldn't hide the screams and snarls from her ears.

Before she knew she could feel the vibrations of footsteps.

She turned the white light back on only to see the four girls were in front of the den, trying to get inside. Her den mother saw them, and charged.

She could hear the sound of flames, smell the scent of burning flesh as a pain filled hole rung through the air, the heart clenching sound being owned by none other than her den mother.

Everything was still for a moment, and the the four girls rn into the denm stopping once their eyes landed on the sight of them. But they didn't see her, being hidden in the shadows and all.

But her brother saw her, and he stepped in front of her, snarling as he bared his small teeth.

The girls tried to run out, but stopped when they saw the den entrance being blocked by a thick crowd of her pack.

They steppe back until they were against, but he guessed they were too close for her brother's comfort, because what he did next, changed her life forever.

He ran at them and sunk his teeth into the nearest one's leg, which just so happened to be the brunette. The girl screamed and moved her leg around as tears streamed down her face. She watched in horror as the girl pounded her brother against the den wall, trying to get him off.

He fell off eventually, a small pool of crimson surrounding his small, crippled figure. Her father and mother burst into the den, their hackles raised as they snarled and growled, the sound rumbling through the forest floor like thunder. Their eyes were filled with blazing anger and hate, their fangs showing as their claws were unsheathed.

Her father pounced for the brunette girl as her mother ran over to her brother.

She saw something in the older blonde's eyes, something that sent a shiver down her spine. Her eyes grew dark, something shifting into place as any spark of light blue was gone, vanished.

She ran in front of the brunette, a sharp icicles covering her fingertips. her dad landing in on the blonde, but as soon as he did his eyes were glazed over, his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth as he gave out one last raspy breath.

She'd knew what was coming, listened to the sound of the ice silently driving into her father's stomach.

She blonde pushed him off of her, blood drops on her body where they'd ripped from her father's mouth. Her dead father.

Her mother howled, the sound filled with pain as it was echoed with a deadly snarl, a last warning. She charged.


	10. What Eye May See

Astrid saw Bloodfire's boy pup fall to the ground, saw the small pool of blood that surrounded him, saw the look of death glaze over his once life filled orbs. The sight made her stomach lurch.

She'd seen the same thing when her father died, saw the blood, smelled the very beginnings of rotting flesh.

Her breath quickened, her heart thumping in her chest as fast as a dragon beats its wings.

Bloodfire and Nightcloud ran into the den, murder filled eyes ablaze as they snarled at the girls, the sound filled with more pain than anger.

Bloodfire made her way to her unmoving son, nudging im softly and crooning, as if trying to wake up. She felt unimaginable pain for the wolf, and impossible hate for the Sisters Of Four.

Nightcloud jumped at the brunette, but the blonde was faster. She ran in front of her sister as she took the blow, sharp icicles growing from her fingertips the whole time.

She could hear the ice slide into Nightcloud's flesh, it killed her on the inside. It was silent all except the sounds of the pack taking in deep breaths, a small whimper coming from the wolves.

It was the lack of one sound that made her heart stop, the lack of Nightcloud's breath. The blonde threw the wolf off of her, blood smeared on her face as the ice of her fingertips were covered in blood, the warmth of the red liquid slowly melting them.

A small whimper sounded from the corner of the den, she looked closer and saw that Bloodfire's girl pup was hidden in the shadows. She felt relief wash over her, at least she was still alive.

But then she looked back at the unmoving body of Bloodfire' dead pup, he'd also come from the corner, attacking the brunette in order to protect his sister.

She felt the memories coming to her, filling her mind and making her heart beat even faster. She looked at the dead pup, the small blood pool around him growing.

_Hesitantly, she walked over to her father's body, unlike the dragon, he wasn't breathing. She stopped just at the edge of the pool of crimson that seemed to enclose around his body._

She looked into Nightcloud's lifeless eyes, his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth.

_His gray, dead eyes stared back at her, unfocused yet sharp and keen, the thing that gave him his name._

She took a step back, sadness filling her and weighing her down as tears threatened to spill.

_The weight of the world was suddenly cats upon her shoulders, the axe in her hand seemingly gaining ten pounds. She held back the tears, biting her lip in order not to cry._

Bloodfire ran away from the body of her dead son, coming at the blonde as she lept, claws unsheathed.

She felt hate for the girls, anger boiling up inside of her as she wanted nothing more than to help Bloodfire shred them limb from limb, but she couldn't.

They were the Sisters of Four, she couldn't kill them. But she was also protecting Bloodfire, not wanting her to end up dead like Nightcloud and her pup had.

She ran into the den, pushing and shoving the other wolves around her so that she could get inside. She saw the red blur of Bloodfire, and then she herself, lept.

Her body collided with Bloodfire's, shoving them both towards the wall.

The four girls looked surprised, eyes locked on her as her own gaze was locked on Bloodfire, the red Dire Wolf trying to get up as she shook her head to get rid of any blurs in her vision.

The wolf jumped to her feet and turned to snarl at whoever had knocked into her, stopping once her eyes landed on Astrid.

Bloodfire snarled and growled and tried to move around her, but she was moving with her every move so that the Dire Wolf couldn't get to the Sisters of Four.

Bloodfire snarled in frustration. She loved her Alpha, they were like sisters, but the other four humans had killed her mate and son, they would pay. She didn't know why she was protecting the humans, surely she'd seen what they'd done?

The red Dire Wolf faked to the left and ran to the right, getting past her leader and getting an opening to the four humans, she narrowed her eyes at the brunette and the older blonde, they would be the first to die.

She lept once again, Astrid stepped in front of her and knocked the wolf down, pinning her under her and snarling.

Bloodfire snarled back, swiping at her Alpha as her claws grazed her cheek. Astrid pulled back and hit Bloodfire on the side of the head, not to hard, but hard enough to knock her down.

Bloodfire got up and snarled once more, her eyes showing she'd had enough. She lept at Astrid and pinned her, shoving her muzzle in the girl's face. She wouldn't defy her Alpha, but she wanted to kill the humans, would kill them, so if that meant she'd have to get back her title, so be it.

Astrid bit Bloodfire's nose, a complete spur of the moment kind of thing. She then shoved the red Dire Wolf off of her, knocking her down and banging her head against the dirt floor.

Bloodfire shook her head and aimed to attack, but before she could Astrid hit her once again, pinning her under her and pushing down so she couldn't get up. But she wasn't done, she wouldn't be done until the fur humans were dead.

She swiped at the girls stomach, successfully driving her claws deep into her skin.

Astrid's eyes widened as she pulled away, stifling a cry as she bit her lip and inside her cheek, she would not show weakness.

Bloodfire saw and opening and lept at the girls. She saw the oldest blonde get in a ready stance, the ice growing on her fingertips as she stepped in front of the brunette. But she didn't care if she would die, she just wanted revenge, wanted to kill the ones who'd killed her family.

Astrid looked up and saw Bloodfire heading for the girls, her eyes landing on the sight of the four other girls.

They probably had family, had each risked their lives just to come out in the middle of nowhere and find each other because of a stupid book, she wouldn't let them die now. She could just imagine their parents crying at their homes, crying because their little girl or girls hadn't come back.

No, she wouldn't let that happen. If she died out here, who cared right? She had no family, had no one left to live for, but they did.

Her vision filled with green for a split second, and then she realized she was looking into someone's eyes, Hiccup's eyes. And then the image was gone.

She shook her head. So what if there was someone back home waiting for her, she had to save the Sisters of Four.

She jumped up, ignoring the searing pain in her stomach as the red liquid that coated her hands went unnoticed by her.

She wouldn't get Bloodfire to stop by fighting her like a human, she wouldn't be able to get through to her by asserting her dominance. So she'd fight her like a wolf, get through to her by family.

She lept at the red wolf, sinking her duller human canines into Bloodfire's neck as she shoved her into the den wall, holding her there and snarling. She threw Bloodfire down to the ground, hitting her across her forehead as the wolf's head violently bumped against the ground.

She snarled and hissed, then started crooning softly as she motioned to the dark corner. Bloodfire reluctantly looked out of curiosity, her eyes landing on the small hidden figure of her daughter.

* * *

><p>What was Alpha doing?! Why would she fight her?! All she wanted was to get revenge on the ones who killed her family, sink her teeth into the soft flesh of the blonde and brunette.<p>

But Alpha wouldn't let her, she fought her! But why?

Her head bumped against the ground multiple times, her unsheathed claws making blood drip from Alpha's already scarred body.

She'd felt bad when she'd bit into Alpha's cheek, tearing flesh and leaving a series of scars running down her face and to her neck, but Alpha didn't seem to mind, didn't talk about it, didn't talk at all.

When she'd first fought her it had been a good fight, to her surprise she'd known how to fight like a wolf, she'd been surprised by her a lot. She grunted and huffed, snarled and growled and used her body to communicate, but she never spoke her human words.

When she howled to the hunting parties she made sense, her words being read clear and the sounds echoing off everything like a real wolf's howl should, but she never made the odd human sounds.

Whenever she spoke her words could be understood, she always made sounds that were words in the wolf world, but she never spoke the human language, and she often wondered why.

But it was then, when he was pinned under her, that her wolf words spoke the loudest.

_**Look. **_Alpha spoke, her words a calm coo from the snarls and growls she'd been making. And she did, she looked to where Alpha had motioned and she saw it, her pup.

She was hiding in the dark corner, a fear filled look on her face as her small body shook with violent shivers. She backed up and hid deeper in the shadows, her shoulders shoved forward and her tail tucked between her legs in order to look smaller, and it was then that she understood what Alpha meant.

She still had a pup, a family, a reason to live. She was willing to kill herself to avenge her family, when really she had family that needed her, a pup. She still had family, a pup that didn't need a vengeful mother, but needed a strong mother.

She looked back at Alpha, slowly putting her head down and nodding, showing that she understood.

Alpha looked at her, growling and nodding slowly before she pulled away, standing up and puffing out her chest as she looked down on her, watching her.

* * *

><p>Astrid stood there, watching as Bloodfire slowly got up, her gaze never leaving the wolf. The red Dire Wolf walked over to the shadowed corner and crooned, crouching down as she neared the corner.<p>

Slowly the girl pup came crawling out, mewing and walking towards her mother.

Astrid tilted her head and squinted her eyes in curiosity and confusion. The pup was walking towards her mother, but her eyes were still sealed shut, so how'd she know where to go?

Bloodfire yipped in happiness as she curled around her pup, licking her from head to paw as her tail swished back and forth, her muzzle nuzzling her pup.

She heard a breath being released, and she slightly turned her head to the left, listening closely as the girls behind her stilled.

She'd forgotten they were there, but she was once again aware of their presence, the forgotten anger resurfacing, but she couldn't focus on them now.

Her gaze shifted to the sight of Nightcloud and his son, their dead bodies sprawled out on the ground, the pool of red around them slowly drying. She would have to bury them, then she'd focus on the Sisters of Four.

She walked over to Nightcloud's body, running a hand over the fur on his neck affectionately, the familiar soft feeling replaced by the coldness of death that seeped through his thick coat.

Her breath hitched as she walked over to the body of Bloodfire's first born, his death was different from Nightcloud's in so many ways.

She'd seen him being born, watched as Ambereyes had tucked him close to her. She'd watched him crawl around the den and mew, following his sister and protecting her, to bad protecting her was the last thing he'd done.

He'd been fighting off the brunette, trying to keep them from hurting his sister, and in the end, they'd killed him. Her eyes flickered to the sight of the brunette without moving her head, _she'd _killed him.

He'd died protecting his family just like her dad had died protecting her, and it hurt, hurt her in more than one way.

Nightcloud on the other hand, he'd also been different.

She'd watched as his and Bloodfire's relationship had grown, for her it was kind of like watching her parents relationship before her eyes, or at least trying to grasp and idea how her father and mum had acted around each other.

She'd watched as he stood by Bloodfire's side when she'd given birth, watched as he became more and more protective of his mate and pups.

But watching him die, was what had hit her the hardest. Like her father he'd died protecting his family, or rather getting revenge on the people who'd killed his son. But it'd been like rewatching her father's death, and it'd brushed over her old scars, reminding her that they would always be there.

She felt something wet on her palm, and look down to see that her hand had landed in the small pool of blood that had made its way around the dead pup, she pulled away.

Bloodfire walked up next to her, her girl pup hidden behind her leg as if to protect her from the scene of her dead brother, even though her eyes were closed.

The small pup seemed to shake, her legs looking as if they'd fall out from under her any second as she then did something that wasn't normal for any pup her age to do.

She seemed to take a ready stance, as if she was going to fight, shaking and throwing her head around. And then, she opened her eyes.

* * *

><p>She smelled blood, a lot of it. It hung in the air like a thick fog, staining the once fresh environment in a layer of death.<p>

She heard the scuffle around her, listened to the snarls and growls as shrieks of pain came from the fighters. But she was focused one thing and one thing only, her dead brother.

The white outlined everything, her ears picking up every sound, her nose catching the slightest whiff of any scent. But she only saw her brother, the only sound reaching her ears being the one of blood slowly trickling from the wound on her his body, the only smell reaching her nose being one of blood, her brother's blood.

Her ears perked up, it wasn't what she heard that was what she was listening to, it was what she wasn't hearing that made her aware of the silence.

No growls, no snarls, no pain filled screams, just...silence.

She heard a growl, then the sound of someone moving. The world around her went white, the scene in front of her taking shape.

The Alpha was standing up, her mom also getting up as she slowly made her way over to the corner she was hidden it.

She saw the outline of the four other girls behind the Alpha, the leader taking a stance of dominance and protectiveness. Why was she protecting them?! They were murders, and she would kill them.

She stilled, catching herself of guard.

Could she kill? Would she kill? They'd killed her father, her brother, killed her family and hurt her den mother. She couldn't just let them go unscathed, she'd get them, even it was the last thing she'd do. Maybe she wouldn't kill, but she'd get them back, scar them like they'd scarred her.

Only for them, it would be way worse.

She was brought out of her thoughts when he heard a coo, looking around she saw that it was her mother who was making the sound. She was crouched down in front of her, looking at her and trying to get her to come out.

She slowly crawled towards her mother, her legs and body feeling numb as she came out of the shadows.

She could see a look pass over the Alpha's face, but it quickly disappeared, though the spark never left her eyes.

Her mother yipped in glee and wrapped herself around her, licking her as she whined and nuzzled her affectionately.

She leaned into the touch of her mother, feeling comforted by the safe warmth that radiated from her mom's tongue and body heat.

But then suddenly her mother stopped, the warmth not reaching her small body anymore as her mother slowly got up.

She could feel her mother nudge her carefully and gently, slowly leading her somewhere inside the den.

She stopped and bumped into her mother's leg once she realized where they were, there a few feet away, was the unmoving body of her fearless little brother.

She could feel her legs shaking, her breath hitching and catching in her throat as her heart beat was faster than ever before, the only sound reaching her ears being the one of her thumping heart.

It wasn't fair, he was so young. He'd just tried to protect her her, why did he have to try and protect her? Why couldn't he be a normal brother and sneer at her everyday, taunting her and hanging out with the other pups?

But no. He'd spent his every waking moment being with her, snarling at the ones who came to close, giving her only the best, looking out for her in ways more than one. He'd protected her and knew that in the end, there'd be no one to protect him.

Her whole body was shaking now, sweat dripping from her fur as her tongue flicked out of her mouth to hydrate her nose.

She could feel the anger, the hate, the feelings she'd never felt before. Something inside of her was shifting, she could feel it. Her insides turned, something in the back of her mid nagging at her.

She let her tongue hang out of her mouth, her emotions channeling some kind of hidden wolf instinct. She wanted the four humans dead, but no one would help her, so she'd have to hunt them herself.

Her paws felt on fire, bone popping into place as her claws met the dirt ground for the first time, unsheath claws, check.

She could feel her top lip pulling back as she crouched to the ground slightly, digging her claws into the soft dirt.

She smelled everything, the blood, the sweat, the tears. But she also smelled the blood on the four murderers. The blood that belonged to her father and brother, and the blood that ran through their veins, _that _was the blood she wanted, the blood she'd spill.

The weight on her eyelids was slowly disappearing, but they still probably wouldn't open for another month, but if she wanted to hunt, she needed to see.

She shook her head, her top lips pulling back more as she showed her canines, not dull but not the sharpest.

She was shooting white streaks across the ground and through the air, flicking her tongue out to see as she violently shook her head. She wanted to see, to see for real!

She battled against the weight and then threw her head back, successfully snapping her eyes open.

The white lines across the ground still went, blinding her as the color mixed in with it, but she kept her eyes open.

A searing pain raked her face, the heat coming from her left eye. She felt pain, smelled the scent of burning flesh like the smell of her burning den mother, but then it grew so hot, it just disappeared.

It was still there and it stung her like a thousand bees, but it was somewhat comforting, in a way. It drove her on, diminishing the pain and filling it with confidence.

She stopped the white lines, still flicking her tongue out to taste the colors. she saw shapes, they were blurry, but soon the images sharpen, showing wolves and humans alike watching her.

She stopped flicking her tongue, wanting to see the colors for herself without the help of her color taster. And then she saw...nothing.

It was gray, gray and black and white. The wolves were gray and black, white where they had white spots. The shadows around her were black, the den and the dirt a dark gray and light gray. She shook her head, no.

Why couldn't she see?! What was wrong with her?! She shook her head some more, thinking the lack of colors were her newly opened eyes playing tricks on her, but she stills couldn't see.

Her previous anger and hate for the four murderers was gone, replaced by overwhelming sadness and fear, always fear.

How was it that she could taste colors, see the outside world without opening her eyes, hear farther than any wolf, have a canny sense of smell, but not be able to see for real?! H-how...how does that happen? Why?

She looked around again, all her eyes seeing was black, gray, and white. She let her head hang in defeat.

It was so stupid, she opened her eyes early and what's she get...she got, she got..._this!_

She perked up. Wait! She opened her eyes early, so maybe if she waited...the colors would come! Yeah that was it, she opened her eyes early and she can't see, it made sense.

She felt happy, but then it was replaced by the forgotten anger and hate. she turned the white on and flicked her tongue out. surprisingly whether her eyes were open or not, it looked the same.

But then she saw something out of the corner of her eyes, a brown little thing curled up in a ball right behind the four murderers, shaking and hiding in the shadows.

She realized it was the dominant brown pup, in all the action she hadn't seen him run inside to try and save her and her brother. She cocked her head,s he'd have to get him out of there.

Yes she didn't like him that much, but he was the kindest out of the other pups, and he reminded her of her brother. also she couldn't just leave him to the same fate as her father and brother.

She let her eyes stay open and walked forward.

Her legs were still a little wobbly, since she'd only crowd before, but instinct made her go on. She pulled back her top lip, pushing her ears against her head as she let a savage snarl emit from her maw, her teeth glinting.

She walked towards the girls, walking on as they slowly parted for her, more surprised than scared.

She neared the dark corner, nuding the brown fur ball who had his eyes squeezed shut.

He snapped his eyes open, jumping back as his transfixing forest green orbs were filled with fear. She pushed him out from the shadows, practically dragging him across the room so that he was next to the Alpha.

She left him there, and then walked back to her mother, snarling and narrowing her eyes at the murderers the whole time.

The other pups burst through the den entrance at that time, where'd they'd been before she did not know nor did she care.

She sat on her haunches, back straight and chest slightly puffed out, her tail swaying back and forth behind her. She looked at them, throwing them a glare while a snalr still played on her maw, they stilled.

She sneered and huffed at them, annoyed at their fear. It was ok to be scared when hunting, it was natural to be scared when fighting, it was expected of you to have fear if you were dying. but to be afraid of a fellow pup, that was just stupid.

The Alpha walked over to her father and brother's dead bodies.

She carefully picked her brother up, and then grunted for the other wolves to help her with her father's heavy body, even though he'd lost a lot of blood, he still weighed a lot.

It was time to bury them.


	11. Plans

He was a pup yes, but she knew he wasn't suppose to be as light as he was. It was like holding a feather in her hand, walking slowly so the wind wouldn't blow it away.

She grunted and motioned to Nightcloud's unmoving body, the wolves came, nudging him and hosting him on their backs so they could carry him.

They looked at her, waiting.

She walked outside the den, moving slowly as not to rock the dead pup in her hands.

She was aware of the wolves that followed her, Bloodfire by her side and her pup close at her heels.

Her pup, what a strange little thing.

She opened her eyes early, extremely early. That could be a bad thing, or a good thing, which ones he didn't know.

Her claws had been unsheathed, her head thrashing around as if she was fighting a mental battle, her mind and soul winning. She snapped her eyes open, revealing her blood red one and her mesmerizing dark blue one.

But the thing was, her dark blue had been glowing.

When her eyes had snapped open her darkblue had started to slightly glow, and then glow brighter and brighter until a white light can consumed her and the den. It was only for a split second though, the everything was back to normal.

The pup's fur had been smoking, her blue eye ablaze as her lip had been pulled back in a snarl that was none to silent.

But then she'd walked to the girls, she would've been a lot more shocked at the fact that the young wolf could walk if she hadn't pulled Hiccup out of the dark corner.

She'd been beyond surprise dta the sight of the young wolf pup, but then she remembered seeing him run back into the den, and she mentally slapped herself for forgetting him.

She'd dragged him away from the Sisters of Four then left him at her feet, walking back to Bloodfire.

She wouldn't have been able to handle it, the death of Nightcloud, Bloosfire's son, _and _Hiccup. She would never forgive herself.

Nightcloud and Bloodfire's pup's death was already on her hands, if any more blood was spilled because of her, she herself would die.

She kept on walking, not knowing where to then her gaze landed on the shaded area under the branch, it was as good a place as ever.

It was calm, the wind rustling the leaves as a few leaves fell to the ground like the teardrops she so desperately needed to shed, but wouldn't because of her stubborn Viking nature.

Stupid Viking nature, she wasn't even Viking anymore, she was a wolf. She looked up for a moment. She was a wolf.

Before she knew it she was under the branch, and she set the pup's body down, not bothering to wipe the blood from her hands as she went over to the base of the tree and grabbed her axe.

It wouldn't make the best digging tool, but it was better than using her hands.

She dug for what felt like hours, dirt driving under her fingernails as her hands began to sore, but she ignored the pain, ignore the blood that came from her cracked and split hands, she was used to it.

She dug bothe the pup's and Nightcloud's holes, their dirt filled grave for their lifeless bodies to se called rest in piece in. She was disgusted.

The bloodshed and death she was witnessing right now was what was happening on Berk everyday, and she was disgusted by it. Disgusted by her own blindness and stupidity of how she hadn't seen it sooner.

She no longer wanted to go back. She wanted to stay with the wolves in the woods, hunt for her food, talk to them without speaking a word, play with the pups, love a happy life, and then when the time came, join Nightcloud and the pup in her own grave.

She frowned. She really wished she'd given the pup and name, now she had nothing to call him. She looked at his body, his small, dead body. He was a hero, he saved his sister and died doing and honorable thing, he needed a fitting honorable name.

'_Thor.'_ She thought. It was perfect.

She picked up his small body and set him down in the hole, making sure he looked as peaceful as possible as she started to cover him in dirt.

With every grain of brown that covered him, she felt a stabbing pain in her heart. The dirt covered him and built up ontop of him, hiding him from the world as if he'd never existed.

When she was done she ran a hand over the top of his grave, smoothing out the dirt to make it look as peaceful as possible.

She looked at the body of Nightcloud, his lifeless eyes staring right back at her.

She picked a spot next to Thor's grave and started digging, ignoring the stabbing pain in her stomach and hands, the aches in her body and muscles, what she felt in her heart hurt even more.

When she decided the hole was big enough she tried moving Nightcloud's body into the hole, but he just was too big and weighed too much.

Bloodfire came over and started nudging her mate into the hole, more and more wolves coming and helping her.

She set Nightcloud down in the hole and climbed back out, slowly pushing the mounds of dirt back into the hole.

Bloodfire came next to her and she stopped. They looked at each other for a moment, sharing the pain they felt.

Then Bloodfire started nudging the dirt, helping bury her mate in a grave that held his lifeless body, and not his warm and healthy soul.

Bloodfire's pup walked up to them, sadly looking down at the half full hole as she too started to help bury her father.

She thought back to the time she'd let the arrow fly, watched as her father's body and both went up in flames. And now she was doing the same thing, kind of. Maybe she wasn't shooting an arrow, but she was saying goodbye.

After that she'd had no one, but the pup had Bloodfire, and the pup had a pack, and the pup had her. She'd help her through the loss, do what no one had been able to do for her.

Help ease the pain.

* * *

><p>It wasn't true, it wasn't real, it was a dream. She was asleep-no-she was dead. It couldn't be real, just couldn't.<p>

They'd just been walking, looking for a nearby stream for some water when the wolves had attacked.

It was _their _fault, if they'd just left them alone and walked away none of it would've happened, it was their fault.

But then why did she feel so guilty.

She'd ran, but maybe the wolves didn't like where they were going, maybe they wanted them to be their next meal, but either way they chased her, and she didn't look back.

She'd ended up in a nice clearing, and old willow tree in the middle and apple trees hung around the clearing and outlined it.

The wolves surrounded them, one attacking and Merida successfully shooting it in the shoulder.

The tree's roots were uprooted, making a small room and shelter, that was where they were heading. She didn't know why she was heading there, if they went in they'd be cornered, so why? She couldn't even answer her own question.

They'd left Merida's horse, Angus behind. If he were there he could surely get them out, have them riding on his back as he ran off into the safety of the forest.

But no, he'd been left at the cove, and she felt relieved, at least one of them wouldn't die.

A wolf had attacked them, and Anna has shot out a jet of flames, making the wolf go limp. She was surprised, so her sister could bend fire, but after surprise came pain.

It hurt her, the flame. She was cold on the inside, and the flame seemed to melt her, drain her power and leave her defenceless, so she ran into the den.

They were cornered, and she wa ready to fight. The pup bit Anna, and she lost it. Pounding the small animal against the wall as tears streamed down her face. She was scared for Anna, and disgusted by the sickening cracks that emanate from the small pup's body until it went limp.

She felt as if she was going to puke, but before she could two adult wolves burst into the den. They looked no ne to happy, spitting and growing as they eyes her and Anna.

The red one went over to the dead pup, nudig it and crooning. She felt pity, but it was soon masked, they attacked them, it was their fault.

The black one attacked Anna, but she acted out of instinct, stepping in front of her sister and stabbing the wolf in the stomach, letting its dead body hand over her for a second before she threw it off of her.

And then the red wolf attacked, and then the girl.

She fought the wolf, bit and bled. She snarled and growled, showing dominance, no fear.

She was shocked. There was a girl who looked about her age, fighting a full grown wolf for what, to protect them?

She sued her body, pinning the wolf down and biting her nose, making no sound when the wolf's claws raked against her skin and drove deep enough to leave scars.

The girl won, snarling as blood dripped from her body, eyes wild and crazy as she then softly crooned to the wolf, motioning with her head to a small corner.

She was talking to teh wolf! Who talked to a _wolf?!_

Then there was the small wolf pup, her blue eyes glowing as her blood red one stared at her, death gleaming in her orbs.

The girl picked up the wolf pup, and gruted at the others, telling them to do something. The wolves gathered at the dead body of the adult male wolf, picking him up and resting him on their backs.

She watched as she dug the hole, burying the pup first than the adult one.

Her eyes landed on the makeshift house the girl had built in the trees, a few satchels and weapons resting against the wood wall.

Her eyes landed on a book that was resting on a flat branch, the black sleek cover every familiar. They'd found her, the Controller Of Four, they'd found her.

Maybe not on the best circumstances but they'd found her all the same. She shook her head, they lept at the, they attacked, it was their fault. But then why did she feel so guilty?

She watched as the wolf and girl stared at each other, one minute trying to rip each other to shreds the next sharing a moment as they looked into each other's eyes.

She wasn't just the Controller of Four, she was a girl who knew about wolves, who _lived _with thma, and Elsa was beyond amazed.

She was able to communicate with teh them, grunting, growling, huffing, snarling, she could actually talk to them. And they accepted her.

A ray of light landed on the place where the girl had buried the wolves, making the place glow a steh leaves swayed it looked truly magical.

The girl looked up at her and she remained emotionless, standing in front of Anna as he hands were clasped in front her her, she didn't look away.

Neither did the girl.

She stood up, chest puffed out as she looked down on her, her shoulder thrust down to ,make her look more dominant. It then hit her, she was the Alpha of the pack, she was leader. And so out of the respect her mother and father had taught her, she nodded.

The girl nodded back, and then she started walking towards them, wolves at her heels.

* * *

><p>She walked towards the four girls, the wolves following closely behind. She could kill them in a second, have the wolves slowly rip them to shreds and let them bleed out, only to heal them and have them go through it again, but she just nodded.<p>

The blonde who killed Nightcloud stood tall and confident, obviously coming from a family of high status.

The three other girls stood behind her, the redhead with ehr grip tightly on her bow as the little blonde hid behind her. The brunette stood beside her sister, surprisingly eyeing the wolves behind ehr with a glare and a bit of curiosity.

The grass bend under her feet, the air moved with her, the water in the earth swaying with every breath she took, the fire of hate burning within her.

She felt connected to the earth, a surge of power consuming ehr in a flurry of colors as she was blinded for a second.

When her vision was once again restored she saw that she was staring into the icy blue eyes of the oldest blonde.

She looked down at her, the blonde doing the same. She showed no emotion, neither did the other girl, oh she was good.

Bloodfire walked up next to her, snarling as her hackles were raised. Astrid lightly growled at her, telling her to back off, and she did.

She looked up at the blonde whose eyes were filled with curiosity and the dim light of amazement, she grinned.

She had no idea why she did buts he did. Nightcloud and Thor had just died and she was grinning at their killers! BUts he couldn't help herself. She smiled a big, idiotic, dumb, smug grin.

The blonde's eyes widened as she then looked away, obviously taken back by the smile and the fact that her awe had been noticed.

" Are you the Controller Of Four? " The blonde asked.

Astrid was then the one who was surprised, she could speak Norse. she didn't think she'd be able to, bit it made it all the more easier.

She nodded in answering to the question.

* * *

><p>She was smiling! It hardly seemed like the thing to do at the moment buts he was doing it, she was smiling!<p>

But then she realized why she was smiling. She'd noticed her looking, her character had slipped, she'd been figured out.

She looked away, heat rushing to her face, but she pushed it down. Recollecting herself she asked the question that had been nagging at the back of her mind, the question of was the girl the Controller Of Four.

She nodded and looked up at her, it was then that she actually noticed her and how she looked.

She wore a short sleeved light and dark blue horizontal striped shirt with matching blue leggings, some kinds of boots and a thing skirt to match. The thin skirt was overlapped by a burgundy spiked skirt that looked leathery, it came down in flames so that she could move more.

Her hair was in a neat braid, her bangs covering her left eye as a burgundy head banned over lapped all her blonde hair excpet her bnags.

She had on wrappings on her arms that went to her elbows and a metal skull belt that had two double bladed axes clipped to the sides.

Lastly she had metal emblazoned shoulderpads.

She had three aligned scars running down her right cheek, ending at her neck. She had smaller scars on her arms, ones that had probably been there for years.

Dried and fresh blood was on her close, the wounds on her stomach and shoulder still bleeding, but it was if she didn't care.

Elsa stared into her blazing blue eyes, cyan, icy, whatever you wanted to call them, they looked like staring into the eyes of death. Blue clashed with blue, and then silence.

* * *

><p>Astrid stared at the girl, her blue eyes clashing with blue. It's not like she's never seen blue eyes, she herself had blue eyes, but the girl's eye were different.<p>

her orbs were frosted over, a shiver went up her spine by just looking at them. she starred more, swearing that she could see small snowflakes falling in the girls orbs, but then she looked away.

She looked at the sky, watching as the blue sky became dark. The wolves hadn't come back with food, that meant they'd be eating on a somewhat empty stomachs, or at least she would.

They still had a food pile, though it was small, buts he didn't feel like eating.

She looked at the girl once more, motioning with her head towards the old willow tree. She walked towards her tree hut, her wolves following close behind.

She looked back to see the girls hesitantly following her, the blonde keeping a close eye on the wolves.

She motioned to the tree hut, trying to tell them to get in.

The redhead hosted the little blonde in the tree, doing the same for the brunette before climbing in herself.

The blonde looked at her, then spoke. " Can you speak? "

Astrid looked at her, what should she do? She wouldn't speak, buts he could, so she just nodded.

" Then why don't you? "

Astrid looked away, what should she tell her? She didn't even know her and she was already trying to get to know her, it made her slightly angry, so she lied.

She tilted her head up and showed her neck, pulling down her shirt just a little so the girl could see where the scar ended.

She could still speak, she just chose not to. Bloodfire hadn't pierced her vocal chords or anything important, but the scar looked deep enough to fool anybody that it ddi.

But surprisingly the blonde didn't look convinced,s he just looked away and climbed up the tree.

She stared at the tree for a second, then sat down, resting her head against the tree. Bloodfire walked up next to her and snuggled next to her, lciking her face, and Astrid let her.

Bloodfire's pup came up next to her too and sat down, then the whole pack came and laid down, she was once again surrounded by a thick layer of living blankets, and she fell asleep.

When she woke up she was aware she was the only one awake, so she stayed like that, until she heard the sound of shuffling feet.

She leaned back and slowed her breathing, making it appear as if she were asleep as she opened her eyes just a crack, watching as the older blonde hopped down from the tree.

" I know you're awake. " The older blonde said, and her tone was one of seriousness.

She opened her eyes and stood up, walking over to the blonde.

" If you're the Controller of Four, then aren't you suppose to be leading us somewhere? "

Astrid huffed and looked away, stubborn this one was. But she was right,s he would have to lead them to the 'Teachers' or whatever and that meant she'd have to leave her pack behind.

She'd knew they'd try to follow her, but she wouldn't let them. If there was a better time to leave, she'd have to leave tomorrow morning. Yes, they would try to track her, but she'd be long gone by then.

She looked at the blonde, deciding how she should tell her what she wanted to say.

She looked at the rocks around her, closing her eyes and relaxing as the feeling of being a weightless feather enveloped her body.

She looked at the rocks, clenching her fists and moving the rocks so that they made up Norse words, if she could speak Norse she could probably read it.

The blonde looked at the words, her eyes widening then going back to normal size as she read what they said.

_**We leave tomorrow morning, we pack today.**_

The blonde looked up at her, narrowing her eyes and looking over her before speaking with an emotionless face, it kind of reminded her of Stoick.

" My names Elsa, brunettes my sister, Anna. Meridas the redhead and Rapunzel's the small blonde one. "

Astrid listened, waiting for more, but apparently _Elsa _didn't trust her enough. She couldn't blame her, she had wolves, and they had attacked them.

But she didn't trust the Sisters of Four either, they killed Nightcloud and Thor, that was unforgivable and...unforgettable.

She balled her hands into fists, making the rocks form into words once more. Surprisingly it wasn't hard, it actually felt...natural. But every times he used her power, she could feel a lurch, her energy zapped. BUt there was something else, her mind went fuzzy, and she found herself seeing a fuzzy picture when comparing Elsa to Stoick.

Something was happening to her when she used her powers, but her head was clouded, her mind to fuzzy. Before she knew it she forgot her worries and walked on, leaving Elsa to read what she'd wrote.

_**Packing starts now.**_


	12. What Belongs To Who

Astrid walked over to the old willow tree, stopping in front of the tree and climbing inside her tree hut.

Anna, Merida, and Rapunzel were just waking up, rubbing their eyes sleepily as they yawned. Merida's eyes snapped open as her eyes landed on her, nearing Rapunzel as she glared at her, watching her carefully.

She walked by her and sneered, growling and gnashing her teeth just because she could. She didn't want to scare them, but the hate wasn't gone, it was still there. It would never leave, the scar being permanent.

So she had a right to dislike the ones who'd left the wound, and she would. She would work with them, but it didn't mean that she had to like them.

She walked over to the end of the tree hut, leaves and branches mixed with some shrubs and moss that grew off the tree making a perfect place for hiding things. She pulled out both of her satchels.

Right then Elsa climbed into the tree hut, watching her as she then turned and talked to the other three.

" We're spending today packing, tomorrow morning we'll be leaving. " She explained simply, while her head was turned to face the girls she could still feel her stare boring holes in her back.

" An' wha' abou' th' wolves lass, th' devils just goin' to come with us? " Merida asked, not at all trying to hide the fact that she didn't like them.

She stiffened. They weren't devils, they were her pack, her family. If anyone was a devil it was them! They'd killed Nightcloud, they'd pounded Thor's head against the wall until his skull split! They were devils, cold blooded murderers!

They were just trying to protect their home, they attacked first! It was their fault two of her wolves were dead, more than one severely injured! Especially Ambereyes.

She cringed at the thought of Ambereyes. Her skin raw and burn, her fur left in small tufts as her skin had been hot to the touch, to weak to move her body.

She spun around and threw her satchels to the ground, grabbing both her axes and violently swinging them around, planting them deep in the wood of the tree as she then spun and threw one at the redhead.

Merida ducked and whipped out her bow and arrow, notching a bow. Her eyes showing anger, surprise, and determination. She realized then, she'd been wanting a fight. She wasn't afraid of a little scuffle, thinking nothing was to fast for her to hit. She narrowed her eyes, she was wrong.

The redhead let the arrow fly, quickly pulling out another one from her quiver in a flash. Astrid easily dodged the arrow, ducking under it and sliding a bit so that she neared Merida.

She popped up in front of the girl and brought up both of her arms, knocking back Merida's hands and making the bow fall out of the girls grip. She grabbed her shoulders and spun her around, kicking her legs out to meet the back of the redhead's knee so that she fell forward.

With her left arm she grabbed the girl's left arm and pinned it behind her, shoving her towards the wall as the only thing from keeping her face from meeting wood was her right arm that was violently wrapped around her throat, axe still in hand.

The girl stiffened, her free right arm trying to sneak its way out of her sight so that she could grab an arrow that had been knocked out of her quiver, she saw the flash of movement, thinking up her next moves before the girl's hand landed on the arrow.

Astrid kicked out her right leg and knocked Merida's hand aside, releasing her grip and yanking her right arm away, making the girl spin around and land on her back.

Before the redhead could open her eyes from the fall she'd pulled her father's axe out of the wall it'd implanted when it's missed Merida's head, both blades resting against Merida's neck as she pinned the girl under her by stepping on her stomach.

Elsa had took a ready stance in front of the two other girls, though most of her body was keeping Anna out of sight, only her eyes flickering to Rapunzel ever so often to see if she was alright.

Rapunzel looked surprised and a little...mad, her soft eyes narrowed at the blades that were inches from Merida's neck.

Anna was hidden behind Elsa, not much of her being seeing besides her small hand clutching Elsa's dress.

Merida's eyes were looking around wildly, trying to find a way away from her, but they both knew who had won. Merida looked at her, sighing slightly as she cursed in a language she didn't understand under her breath, accepting defeat.

But she didn't let up, her breaths still ragged, but not out of weariness, but out of rage. She'd had the nerve to call her pack a devil, harm Bloodfire, and then just expect to be given an easy let go! No, not that day, not ever.

She brought her axe up high, Merida's eyes widening as she realized what she was doing. She was about to bring it down, but then she saw it, the fear. She couldn't really blame her for being afraid of the wolves, she herself had been a little scared when they'd first attacked.

She swung her axe down and let it land only a hair away from Merida's ear, grunting as she pulled her axes away and got up, clipping the weapons to her belt.

Merida's breaths were fast and deep, shuffling being heard behind her as she reached down to pick up her discarded satchels.

" Y-ye almost killed me! Wha' 'tis wrong ye!? "

'_Yeah well I didn't kill you and you're lucky to be alive, so shut up.' _She would've said it for real, but more than ever she wanted to keep quiet. Back on Berk when she spoke it was for a reason, speaking important knowledge and vital tips, but now she had nothing to saw, nothing worth her breath.

She looked through her satchels, stuffing apples into her big satchel. Yes it smelled a little like fish but it would do.

" You almost hurt Meri. " A small voice said, one she hadn't heard before. She turned around and looked to see Rapunzel sucking on her thumb a little, glaring at her, a weird little lizard she hadn't noticed before perched on her shoulder.

She looked at the girl with no emotion, turning back around and grabbing her satchels, strapping them on. She then reached back into the moss, pulling out her mum's bow and arrow filled quiver.

She turned around, looking at the arrow and bow, running her thumb over one of the worn spots of the wood on the handle.

She looked up and saw Merida looking at her bow, gaping at it. She looked closer at her mum's bow, noticing for the first time the small and almost invisible designs that had been carved into the handle.

The design was a simple picture of vines crawling up the bow, leaves and flowers sprouting from the vines. The first time she'd saw the bow it'd been covered in dust, and when she'd cleaned she didn't care too much to look it over.

But for Merida to see the carvings the first time laying eyes on it, and being a few feet away, she knew she had a good eye. No wonder she did archery, but Astrid did archery to, yes not much but it was something.

" Tha' bow, where'd ye get tha' bow? " Asked Merida, her eyes almost flickering with suppressed anger.

She concentrated, closing her eyes as a seemingly dim light filled her back vision. She saw blue life coursing through the invisible water underground, green and brown colors mixed with the dirt, the wind a crisp gold.

She opened her eyes, clenching her fists at her side and rolling her shoulders, breathing in slowly as she reached out with her mind, bending and bonding with the earth around her to use it to her will.

She reached out and rested her hand against the tree's branches, the stray particles of dirt glowing dark brown as the leaves around her glowed a green.

She called out to the dirt, making it all gather in a small vortex in the air.

Merida took a stepped back, her foot bumping into her bow as she stared wide eyed. The others looked the same, though Elsa just tilted her head and watched in amazement.

Astrid didn't know why though, why be so interested in earth when she wielded the power of ice. The only reason she was using earth was because it was the simplest element, the one that had always been there, nagging at the back of her mind and waiting to be used.

She focused back on the dirt, making the soil take the shape of Norse words as she held them in shape, letting the other's read.

_**My mum gave it to me.**_

Merida looked at her, expecting more, and more there was.

_**My father told me she got it out of a battle, taking it as a souvenir from a Kingdom's Queen.**_

The redhead looked at her, eyes ablaze as she neared her, screaming. " Tha' Kingdom ye're talkin' bout, 'tis my Kingdom! Tha' 'tis my mum's bow, an' you're stupid mum took it from her! "

Astrid let the dirt fall, her vision clouded by black spots as they were soon consumed by red. She gnashed her teeth together, growling lightly as it then turned into a snarl, and with her skills, it sounded real.

A scraping sound reached her ears, Bloodfire jumped into the tree hut in a ready stance, a snarl playing on her maw. She must have accidentally alerted the pack, snarling like she did.

She was about to call the red Dire Wolf off, but she found she didn't want to. She could just imagine Bloodfire ripping Merida limb from limb, or better yet, tearing her arm off so that she wouldn't be able to hold her bow anymore, that could be a punishment.

She'd called her mum stupid, a stealer, she'd disgraced her mum's name, when she didn't even know her.

True, she could be telling the truth, her mum had raided lots of other Villages and Kingdoms, or at least that's what her dad had told her, it was possible she'd traveled to Merida's Kingdom and took down her mum, taking her bow.

But then some small realization flickered across her mind. Merida had said her mom had taken down the Queen of the Kingdom and taken her bow, and that the bow was her mum's, so...that meant she was an Heir.

She clenched her hands into fists and grinded her teeth together, rolling her eyes in frustration. Of course she was Heir, she'd known they were all royalty when she'd first seen them, she just didn't think she had any connections with them.

She jumped out of the tree hut and walked around to the apple trees, placing more apples into the satchel until it was almost as heavy as her.

They followed her, watching her the whole time as the wolves watched her. She huffed and walked to the middle of the clearing, throwing back her head and letting a howl ripple through the air.

Now anyone else would've been embarrassed to howl, let alone howl in front of four complete strangers, but she wasn't. They were the ones to be embarrassed, shy. This was her home, here she was fine, perfect, they were the odd ones out.

The wolves jumped to their feet, running through the bushes and shrubs to hunt. Though some were hesitant, not wanting to leave her with the strangers, but soon the hunting wolves were gone.

She looked over and saw Ambereyes with the pups, Hiccup, Snotlout, Ruff and Tuff, and Fishlegs all just looking around. She looked from side to side, trying to find Keeneye, he'd been missing lately.

A flash of dark color caught her attention, turning her head she tilted her head and squinted her eyes, her keen eyesight making out the shape of a stray pup.

She walked over to the edge of the clearing, leaning down and moving the branches aside. There, asleep was a small pup, tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth, snores making his body shake. Keeneye.

She smiled, reaching down and tickling his tummy. He woke with a start, yipping in surprise as he then started to huff in laughter, rolling around in a desperate attempt to get away from her hand.

She stopped as his yips got louder, his eyes filling with what she could only guess was tears of joy.

He'd been out of sight lately, hiding in the shadows and behind bushes while the rest of the pack was gathered in a clearing. He lurked around, looking from wolf to wolf, silently stepping on mossy leaves and wet twigs.

It was as if he was hunting something, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. She wondered what was going on inside his head, crossing paths with his mind and turning the knobs that led to the secrecy of his thoughts.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a cute yawn, she looked down to see Keeneye stretching, his tongue rolling out of his mouth as a high pitched yawn escaped his mouth.

She smiled and picked up Keeneye, softly running her hand over the fur on his back as his eyelids seemed to droop, his small body leaning into her touch.

She softly set him down next to the other pups, continuing to pet him as he started to drift off to sleep once more, the rise and fall of his body almost making her eyelids droop too.

She looked up to see Ruff and Tuff playing like always, smiling wickedly at each other as they banged heads, falling to the ground in a daze as they shakily got up and did it again.

Fishlegs was sleeping, rolled onto his side as his mouth was open, drool running down the side of her mouth.

Snotlout was a little ways away, chasing a squirrel and stepping on its tail whenever it tried to get away. He nipped at it, pouncing on it and pinning it as he growled at it. It flipped him over and sprang away, stepping on his face as it climbed up a tree. She smirked.

Her smile faltered when her eyes landed on Ambereyes. she was laying down, whining when she even blinked due to the pain her raw skin brought her. Her fur was almost all gone, wet and damp with the water she'd put on her early in an attempt to cool her body. She was wrapped in leaves that were stuck together with sap, a makeshift bandage.

Ambereyes shifted her gaze to look at Astrid, a weak wolf smile all that the wounded Dire Wolf could give. She then looked away when Ambereyes looked away, her eyes landed on a certain brown wolf pup.

Hiccup was looking at them, her and Keeneyes, his eyes narrowed and his brown tail lashing out behind him, his teeth bared. She wondered why he was so angry, then she saw it. Jealousy, he was jealous. She would've smiled, if it wasn't for the death glare Hiccup was giving Keeneyes.

She grunted at Hiccup, beckoning him over when his head snapped up to look in her direction. He ran over to her, eyes happy and alight with joy. But she saw his gaze flicker for a second, turning dark when his eyes landed on Keeneyes.

It reminded her so much of Berk. He'd never told her, but she knew he liked her. She heard it in his voice whenever he spoke to her through the door, saw it in his eyes every time she caught him looking at her. She was aware of his feelings for her, but she never returned the. She didn't reject them either, but she never spoke of it, and neither did he.

But the fact that Hiccup was jealous she was spending time with Keeneyes rekindled her memory, bringing a bittersweet taste to her mind.

Hiccup ran at her and pounced on her, licking her face and (she was sure purposely) accidently bumped into Keeneye, knocking him away. Keeneye grunted and got up, shaking the dirt from his fur coat and glaring at Hiccup.

Hiccup looked at Keeneye and glared back, Keeneye growled, raising his hackles and crouching low to the ground as he dug his unsheathed claws into the dirt. Hiccup got off of her, walking over to Keeneye and growling back.

Hiccup raised his tail and let his hackles go high, puffing out his chest and baring his teeth as he unsheathed his claws. He fake lept at Keeneye, stomping his two front legs in the ground as he shook his head, gnashing his teeth together.

Hiccup had just gotten the title of leader, she could see it in his eye, he wasn't about to let it go.

Keeneye charged, running with his head down so that he butted Hiccup in the stomach. Hiccup took the impact with closed eyes, digging his claws into the ground so that he was pushed back, but stayed up. He backed up and hit Keeneye over the head, stomping on the poor pups stomach as he nipped at the pup, letting up only when Keeneye whined in pain.

Astrid stared with wide eye, the same expression on the faces of the wolves around her.

All of the sudden a pup came out of the den, supposedly sleeping while all the racket had been going on outside.

Bloodfire's female pup came walking out of the den, her head held high and her chest puffed out, a look of no emotion in her eyes as her walk was held in high status. Astrid smirked, she'd caught on to her status fairly soon.

Astrid's gaze lazily drifted to the other pups.

Ruff and Tuff had turned their heads to look at the new wolf pup, their nips slowing down as their eyes widened, their mouths dropping open as their eyes were as big as apples.

Fishlegs had woken up, his eyes wide as he tried to wipe the drool from his face, sitting up straight and looking as if he was about to meet Thor himself.

Ambereyes had cracked her eyes open ever so slightly, smiling a little as she then laid her head back down, going back to sleep as she let out a huff, wincing at the pain the small movement brought her.

Snotlout had walked over, trying to find out what everyone else was staring at. he looked at Bloodfire's up, his eyes widening as his tongue stuck out of the side of his mouth, drool running down his chin.

There was something in his eyes, something dark. It was aimed at the pub, telling everyone around him that she was his, and that he called dibs.

She felt anger boil up inside of her, of course Snotlout would want to keep her for himself, it was just the kind of stupid, heartless, disgusting thing he'd do! She growled and hit him over the head, warning him that she was not his to own.

He ignored her, turning to look back at the pup as he licked his chops, smiling as his eyes grew a shade darker, lust filling them. But then her eyes landed on Hiccup, and she almost laughed.

His jaws was practically touching the ground, his eyes wide and blank as he stared at her, speechless. She was aware of him trying to make a few sounds, but no noise was made.

He was still, his eyes sparkling as he looked at her with a completely different look Snotlout was giving her. He was awed by her, amazed and giving her a look of not her being just some female, but an equal wolf pup. He respected her, and she smiled.

It was the look Hiccup on Berk gave her, and she suddenly regretted leaving without telling him she liked him, always had, always will.

* * *

><p>He heard footsteps, his ears flickering as he turned to look at who was coming, letting the snarl in his throat catch and disappear as when he was fighting the other pup, his eyes widening as he saw who was coming.<p>

She had a sleek black coat, the red form her mother mixing with the black and bathing her in what looked like blood. She held herself high, her eyes staring straight forward as she let her tail wave in the air high.

His breath caught in his suddenly dry throat, his eyes going wide and his body going slack. He urged his limbs to move, but his numb body parts did not respond, and his clouded mind didn't comprehend the problem.

He looked into her right eye, blood red staring back at him. Black were lost in the depths of her orb, the sun glinting off her eyes and sending a shiver down his back. Hey remember when she was still crawling around, nothing like the helpless pup she had been.

She'd saved him, even when he'd clearly disrespected her, and for that he was eternally grateful.

She strut forward, her movements unwavering and her status radiating from her, he felt the urge to bow.

Her left eye caught his attention.

It was an icy blue mixed with a shades darker cyan blue, the colors mixing together in a speed that made it seem as if her eye was glowing. But the he looked closer, it was glowing. SAnd he cokced his head, how?

* * *

><p>She walked out of the den, peaking around the corner to see where the pack was before walking out.<p>

The hunting parties were out, that much she could tell. Her den mother and the other pups were a little ways away from the den, the Alpha and her mother with them.

Her eyes landed on the brown pup and she narrowed her eyes at the figure of current black and white, slight gray coating his body.

She backed into the den and took a deep breath, walking out with all the dignified grace she could.

She would show that pup, she was Alpha over him, he would see.

She raised her tail, holding her head high and puffing out her chest a little, walking towards her mother while not looking at anything but a tree in the background.

She walked forward, aware of the eyes that were on her, but she paid them no attention. But soon her legs started to buckle, she didn't know why but she was getting scared. She forced her legs to move, keeping the emotion from her face as each step felt like air being knocked out of her.

She willed herself to see the world of white, flicking her tongue out so she could see the colors around her.

She was nearing the pups and she chanced a glance at the brown pup, making it look as if she was for the first time noticing him. She looked away, sneering at him and swatting his head with her tail as she passed. She walked up to her mom, sitting on her haunches next to her and making no sudden movements.

She felt a soft pressure on her head and she looked up to see the Alpha was resting a paw on her hand, running it down her back and making a shiver run up her spine. She let her eyes roll up inside her head, leaning into the touch and resisting the urge to let her tongue loll out of the side of her mouth.

* * *

><p>Astrid looked down at the wolf pup, smiling as she leaned into her touch.<p>

She'd named all the others, even her brother. She felt a soft pain, but she continued on. BUt Bloodfire's last pup needed a name. Hiccup adored her, Snotlout wanted her. She stuck out her tongue in disgust. And the others were awed by her.

She thought back to Berk, the only appropriate name was her name. But she didn't want to just take it upon herself to name bloodfire's pup, the other pups were different, but Bloodfire's pup was unique.

'_Astrid.' _To her surprise the pup swiveled her head in her direction, cocing her head she looked at her for a while.

Then she smiled.


	13. Ice Fortress

She was...gifted, or whatever word you wanted to use. But she couldn't read minds. The only reason she looked at the Alpha was because she could feel her staring at her, her gaze practically burning off her fur.

She turned her head and looked into her Alpha's surprised blue eyes, smiling to reassure her that everything was alright.

She looked away, for some odd reason her tail swishing back and forth and her mind peaceful. For the first time ever, she was happy.

After that it was silent, all except for the noise the scuffle between the two twin wolf pups brought, the occasional yelp of pain sounding through the air.

The other wolves just watched her, that reason making her attempt to fall asleep fail. She was aware of the change in the Alpha's mood whenever her eyes landed on the four murderers.

The Alpha would grow anger, confused, and even sad. She watched movements, each one sluggish and weighed down, something was wrong.

She looked over at the four murderers who were silently eating apples on the other side of the clearing, munching on the fruits and eating their fill. They glanced at her and the others, whenever their gaze locked with hers she threw them a glare.

She laid there, watching the sky and the wolves, casting out her vision of white to see how the pack hunted. She watched their movements, mentally taking notes on how they hunted and their body language.

Since her brother's...death, she was left alone. Meaning that when the Alpha left or died and her mom became Alpha, she would be the packs only future. So she had to prepare herself, for her pack.

She looked at the brown pup without opening her eyes. Even though she didn't really like him, he was still part of the pack. She would've ignored him, but she couldn't.

In the pack law he was weak and she was strong, usually the strong would taunt the weak, but she couldn't afford that. She wouldn't fight the weak, she would protect the, protect them even if it meant giving her last breath while doing so.

The colors around her began to become muddle and fade, so she flicked her tongue out, absorbing the colors once more. She continued watching the wolves, acting as if she were really with them.

* * *

><p>Astrid gazed at the treeline, her vision becoming foggy as she didn't really concentrate on her surrounding but on the thoughts that filled her mind.<p>

A sound occasionally snapped her out of her thoughts, bringing her back down to earth and making her vision become sharp once more, but seconds later she slipped away into her own little world.

She took in a deep breath and looked around, blinking a few times to clear her hazy vision. Her eyes landed on Astrid, the small pup laying with her head on her paws.

Her ears flickered ever so often, her tongue sliding in her mouth and quickly being pulled back in, she didn't even lick her nose. She became curious.

The pup''s head moved around, her ears shooting up and her claws unsheathing, yet she didn't move. A look of triumph crossed over her face, a smile making its way to her maw.

Astrid wasn't just shocked and dumbfounded by the pup's actions, but also very curious. What was going on inside the wolves mind? She flicked her tongue out, so she couldn't be sleeping, so it wasn't a nightmare. But then what was it?

She looked around, scanning the area for anything that could be making the pup act the way she was, she found nothing.

She sat back down and absentmindedly ran her hand over Hiccup's back, doing the same with her other hand to Keeneye.

The two had, had a little scuffle yes, but as soon as her hand touched their fur they fell in a blissful sleep.

Curiosity nagged at the back of her mind, bringing her out of her thoughts with more questions than she had answers for. She looked back at the wolf pup. She was wondering what was happening to the pup, but it's not like she could enter her mind. She could bend ice, earth, air, and fire, but not minds nor thoughts.

She looked over to Merida, Anna, Rapunzel, and Elsa. They were munching on apples, secretly filling up some satchels she hadn't noticed before.

She looked away and closed her eyes, dreading the time where she would have to leave her wolves.

She was nudged by Bloodfire, being awoken from the blissful sleep she'd fell into. She looked at the red Dire Wolf, understanding what she wanted her to do when she eyes the slightly pink sky.

She got up, her numb legs almost falling out from under her. She made her way to the middle of the clearing, taking a deep breath and throwing back her head.

The howl bounced off the trees and rung through the air, she'd made sure to make it her loudest, it being her last howl and all. At the thought she slumped to the ground.

Bloodfire was at her side in a split second, nudging her and whining. She smiled and hugged the wolf, the precious moment bringing more pain to the open wound of leaving her pack behind.

The wolves broke through the treeline, running and yipping as she could feel the wave if happiness and adrenaline that filled the clearing the moment they could be seen.

They piled the food at the relocated spot when Bloodfire had given birth. Placing the dead animals in a neat pile before walking away and waiting for her to choose her pick.

She got up and walked over to the pile, picking a raccoon and looking at the four girls, silently asking them if they wanted any. They shook their heads and continued to eat apples, man, how many of those cold they stuff inside them?

She walked back to where Ambereyes and the pups were, gutting the animal as she built a small fire to cook the meat over.

The blood from the raccoon spilled across the forest floor, the pups running at her and lapping it up as they shoved past each other to get to the pool of red.

She felt a pain grip her chest, Bloodfire and Nightcloud usually drank the blood. She looked over at the red Dire Wolf and noticed the saddened expression that crossed over her face.

She skinned the raccoon and slowly cooked the meat. She slowly ate the meal, savoring every sliver of flesh that entered her mouth as she looked at her pack eating. It was her last meal with them.

By that time tomorrow she would be long gone, half way across the Island and so far that they wouldn't be able to follow them. Bloodfire would be Alpha, and they would live happily ever after.

She felt anger boil up inside of her. No, she could be living with the wolves forever, would be in fact if the four girls hadn't suddenly showed up.

Her anger deflated, even if she would've left the Island they would've still have met. She felt it everyday, the tug in her chest that signaled them getting closer and closer. They would've found her, no matter what,

She would have to leave anyway. It was really her fault, instead of fighting she could've run, now look at her. She would've never bonded with the wolves, never had to go through the pain.

She shook her head, she wouldn't trade them for anything. She'd rather feel the bitter pain than not feel it at all. They were the best thing that happened to her, and even if it was painful to leave, she loved the time she'd been able to spend with them.

She ate her suddenly tasteless raccoon, chewing slowly as if it would stretch out her time with the wolves, it didn't. She sighed and got up, kicking away the raccoon bones as she walked towards the old willow, slumping against the tree.

The pack was watching her with caring eyes, confused as to why she was acting the way she was. She rested the back of her head against the tree, signing and closing her eyes as she then fell asleep.

She woke with all the memories of what had happened yesterday, reluctantly getting up and climbing into the tree hut. The others were still awake, looking at her as she entered as they then went back to making sure everything was ready.

She picked up her satchels, slinging them over her shoulder along with her _mum's _bow and quiver filled with arrows. She'd made sure to hide it well from Merida, knowing the redhead's intention to steal it.

Even if her mum did take it from her mother, she'd won the fight fair and square, so that meant the bow was her's. And besides, if Merida did try to take the bow, she'd kill her. She really would.

She jumped out of the tree hut, landing quietly as the others followed her lead. She looked around for one last time, taking in the scene of her pack all peacefully sleeping, unaware of what their Alpha was about to do.

Bloodfire was sleeping next to the base of the tree, her tail curled protectively around Astrid. Ambereyes was sleeping also, the pups around her. Honestly she'd never found out who the pup's parents were, but it was too late for that now.

Astrid looked behind her and eyes the four girl behind her. Elsa, Merida, Anna, and Rapunzel staring at her, waiting for her to lead the way.

She cocked her head. Why would he know where to go? They just kept on staring.

She turned around again and looked up at the still dark sky. They would head South, why? She had no idea.

She started walking, the first few steps sending agony and guilt clenching her heart. She took deep breaths and continued on, trying not to focus on the life she was leaving behind.

When she past the treeline shes stopped, fighting against the thought to turn around. If she looked back now, she wouldn't leave. Then she'd just have to go through all the pain again, and that was something that she didn't want to happen.

She kept on walking, leaving herself to her own thoughts as she continued to walk faster and faster until she was running, the trees and bushes a blur of color as her vision was blurred by tears. She wouldn't cry, she was a Viking! No, she wasn't a Viking, she was a wolf!

She ran and ran, aware but ignoring the whispered yells that were thrown at her by the other four, the sound of crunching leaves and her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. She never looked back.

First they'd traveled to the cove where Merida had left her horse, Angus. He'd been scared at first, the smell of wolves on them as he only calmed down once Merida gave him an apple. He was cautious around her, the way she moved like an animals making him buck and jeer when she growled at him once.

It was a day after they'd left, and on they walked.

Astrid twirled her hand absentmindedly, making the dirt and rocks around her swirl in a small vortex as the wind around her picked up slight speed.

She was thinking about the wolves, erk, dragons, blood, death, Hiccup. She was overlooking every single thing she'd done, from the moment the Deadly Nadder burt through her roof, to the time she'd left her pack.

She grew angry, at herself, the pack, Ber, the four girls behind her screaming her name-wait what?

She could hear their voices, but she couldn't make out any words, the winds around her to strong. She tried to stop the air around her, but it wouldn't, and she got angry that she could do nothing.

The anger grew and the wind sped up, rocks and dirt flying towards her. She was aware of the ball of air that surrounded her, the rocks and dirt wrapping around her in a small strap.

She could feel the anger growing into fear, the fear clouding her mind and resurfacing all the fear she felt before. The Deadly Nadder, her father's death, the book shifting, the thought of dying on the small boat, the wolves, Nightcloud and Thor's dead body, leaving her pack, everything.

She was scared, and she wouldn't deny it.

She felt something spring from her hands, sputtering and forming around her as she felt the wind turn cold, some other kind of heat wrapping around her and keeping her warm.

Fire and ice clashed, wrapping around her like the rocks and dirt had. The power was overwhelming, and sickly breathtaking. She felt something taking over her, and she was scared.

But then she saw the blurry figure if a human step in front of her, Elsa's piercing blue eyes holding her own, sand she started to calm down.

The wind around her turned into a slight wisp, the fire and ice fading as the rocks and dirt around her landed back in the earth. She saw Elsa walk towards her, and then she fainted.

That had been a few days ago, meaning she'd been aware from Berk for exactly three weeks. She was surprised at the small amount she'd spent away when it felt like years, but she wasn't complaining.

She led the small group of five over a hill, weaving through trees and avoiding ditches. Her pack hadn't found them yet, that or they hadn't bothered to look in the first place.

She kept on walking when she heard a rustle beside her, she stiffened. Merdad whipped out her bow and notched an arrow in a split second, her quiet and silent breath the only sound reaching her ears.

Out of the bush popped out a rabbit, its nose twitching and sniffing the air as its ears hot up. Merida shot anyway, successfully shooting it between the eyes and killing it instantly.

She Out her bow down and walked over to it, picking it up by the ears and looking at them. At least now they didn't have to worry about lunch. They continued walking, Merida shooting down a few more rabbits and a couple birds.

They walked until the sun went down, and still they walked.

" My feet hurt! " Anna whined, and it was then that Astrid realized they needed to rest. She had more energy and stamina than the others, she could go longer, but they couldn't.

She sat down, silently telling them that it was time to set camp, they complained without complaint.

Astrid gathered some wood while Merida gutted and skinned the animals. She watched the blood make a small pool on the ground, if her wolves were there the blood would've been gone in seconds.

She shook her head. She couldn't think about that now, about _them._ They ate in silence, going to bed once they were all full.

She looked up at the sky, sighing as the faces of Ambereyes, Bloodfire, and the pups filled her mind, she would never forget them.

Suddenly she felt a tugging in her chest, though it wasn't of pain and guilt, just a tug. She felt it again, stronger this time. All of the sudden she saw the world through her earthly eyes and she called them.

The water in the ground flowed, the air a gold and teh ground black and brown, the trees a sparkling brown and green.

She looked to the South, something clouding her mind as enhancing ehr vision, then with the impossible vision of a Viking, she saw it.

Miles and miles away she saw a ice fortress of some kind, sharp tips of ice jutting out everywhere in a black and crips blue that made her eyes go wide. It was on a very small island, the rest of the land covered in ice as the water that surrounded it looked freezing.

She saw flickers of movement that seemed to show through the ice, odd shapes and figures taking form as she tried to look closer. All the sudden her vision returned to normal, she was exhausted. Her eyes rolled up inside her head, and then she fainted.

When she opened her eyes she shot upward, looking at the pink sky of morning and deciding it was as good a time as any to wake the others up.

She walked up to each any every one of them, shaking their shoulders to wake them up, though she lightly kicked Merida just for the fun of it.

They woke up groggily and protest ready, but when they saw the urgency in her eyes they immediately began to prepare for another long walk.

She waited impatiently, pacing around and beckoning for them to hurry as she constantly looks back upon ate the sky, trying to tell how much time they were wasting.

When they were ready she ran in the direction she'd seen the ice fortress in, which oddly enough, was South.

The others screamed her name, running after her as they desperately tried to catch up. BUt she wasn't stopping for anyone, she was on a mission.

Running she slowly slowed down, taking in her surroundings more.

The trees and life filled forests became a little by more less flourished, the air growing colder as the animals hid better. It smelled of winter, and she began to notice, it looked a little like Berk.

It took them a couple days, but they kept on going. They got up before the sun did and slept when only there was a cloud filled sky to hide their light.

She was running, the only thing in her mind was the ice fortress, and then she crashed through a treeline. She skidded to a halt, a few feet away from falling off the cliff's edge.

The others finally caught up to her, huffing and puffing as they fell to the ground, the only one with a smile on their face being Merida.

She looked around, desperate to find another way, but then she saw it. The ice fortress was just a few hundred feet away from the, a land of ice and snow surrounding it as she thought she could see a flicker of green through the thick ice.

She smiled and looked at the others.

Merida was just looking up, her smile disappearing once her eyes landed on the ice fortress. Her mouth hung open, her eyes wide and her face holding an expression of disbelief.

Rapunzel and Anna just looked, Rapunzel looking curious as Anna just looked bored, as if she'd been looking at the ice fortress her whole life and wanted to look at something else.

Elsa was in complete awe. Astrid could see something in her eyes, the color brightening and her face melting into a smile as a shiver racked her body, making the smile grew wider as she took a deep breath of winter air.

Astrid smiled. She knew here Elsa was at home, surrounded by ice and snow as the cold air did nothing to her.

She could feel it to, the icy part of her stabbing at her and sending and emotion if happiness through her as she breathed in the air, feeling something magical dance at her fingertips.

She looked at the others and they nodded, slowly walking down the cliff and making their way to the edge of the Island.

When they reached the end they just stared at the icy fortress, the bone chilling water lapping at their feet.

Astrid balled her hands into fists and moved rock and dirt to form words in front of Else, letting the ice wielder read before she let her grip go slack.

_**Can you do it?**_

She knew Elsa knew what she meant, and she was defeated when she looked over at the girl, a shaking head her answer, but then Elsa spoke.

" Not alone, but together, maybe. "

Astrid looked at the girl. She didn't know what she should do, she hadn't blended ice ever since she'd wielded all four elements at once, She found once she tried to bend the elements again, she couldn't. All she could bend was earth.

Astrid looked at Elsa, slightly nodding. The two walked up to the water, Elsa and her placing their foot down on the water at the same time.

The energy she felt inside her before grew, a feeling unknown to her coursing through her body and spreading over the water. She could feel the ice growing from where'd she placed her foot down, and extension of herself and her mind crawling through the sea.

All the sudden she could see the outlines of the sea creatures living in the water, feeling their heartbeats and feeling the vibrations their movements sent rippling through the water.

She took another step, sending ice onto the water even more, wherever her footsteps were a snowflake carving of ice taking its place. They walked towards the ice fortress, the others slowly following them.

They'd had to leave Angua back on shore where he'd caught up to them, but the small lizard thing Rapunzel called Pascal was able to tag along.

The ice fortress got bigger and bigger, more flashes of colors seeping through the ice as they neared. She tried to enhance her vision again to see what was inside, but she found she couldn't. She was creating ice, but she still didn't know how to use it, especially like Elsa.

When they neared the fortress they looked for an entrance, and they found one. They slowly stepped inside, eyes widening at what they saw.

There were ledges made out of ice, thick trees and blazing green moss and grass covering the ice, but letting the blue seep through. Vines hung from the walls, ice cave and regular cave hidden in pockets of the ice fortress.

Dragons they were everywhere. There were Terrible Terrors, Monstrous Nightmares, Gronckles, Hideous Zipplebacks, and dragons she'd never seen before.

Then her eyes landed on the Deadly Nadders.

Her hand swung to the hilts of her axes, bringing them up and spinning them around in her hands as she then narrowed her eyes at the unexpecting dragons.

The other girls were shocked, but she then saw Merida bring out her bow and knotch and arrow as Elsa let ice grown on her fingertips, Anna and Rapunzel hiding behind them.

Merida was about to shoot when all of a sudden a huge dragon swooped over them, landing in front of them and staring at them.

The dragon was bigger than most dragons, an owl like face and a for the most flat face. It had a crown on the back of its head, two spikes attached to its diamond shaped nose and whisker like flaps on the side of its face making it more intimidating.

It was a tan brown and a light red, the light red taking up the top half of its horna and crown, mostly its whole face. It looked at her with yellow eyes, confusion and curiosity filling its round and docile black pupils.

It reminded her of the Deadly Nadder and she shook her head, filling her mind with thoughts of hate for the dragon instead of curiosity.

It rested its wings out at its sides, the wigs acting like front legs as its back legs were covered by his wings and his huge secondary wings. It then spread it's wings out, revealing a set of wings that had been hidden under the top ones.

Her eyes widened, the beats could only be one type of dragon, the kind that took Stoick's wife. A Stormcutter.

Then, something moved on the dragon's back, and leaping of of the dragon's back, was a human.

She was surprised, no, shocked beyond belief. A human...riding a dragon?! H-how was that possible, why hadn't the dragon eaten the human yet?! She shook her head, remembering her own encounter with the Deadly Nadder.

She'd almost touched the dragon, trusted it, but that was trusting it. The human in front of her had been riding it! Tta was impossible. Then she looked at the human a little closer.

The person wore thick battle armor, most of it looking like it'd been made by the plants and things around her.

The person wore a blue and brown helmet, spikes going up in all directions and tusks coming from the sides as the helmets special slitted eyes made sure she couldn't see the humans eyes. The person also wore brown and blue armor, overlapping shoulderpads and spikes on the back of the armors arms.

The person held a blue, brown, red, and yellow striped shield in their left hand, stitches showing where it had been torn apart and fitted back together. Their other one holding a long curved stick, beads of rock and other things decorating the bludgeoned like ends and cloth in the middle of the handle. The persons hands were covered in armored gloves, sharp ends going over the persons hands.

A red worn cape fell behind the stranger, dragging across the ground but never getting dirty. The person had black leggings and some thinner armor there, their boots being outlined with sharp brown spikes.

The person neared them, slightly crouched down so that their hands were almost brushing the ground. They reached out to them, and an old habit the wolves had put her into made her growl.

The person stopped and tilted their head in what could've been curiosity or confusion, maybe both, but the persons well made mask kept their emotions hidden.

The person drew back and looked over them.

By now all the dragons were watching, looking down on them and squawking or growling, all waiting for what would happen.

All the sudden the ground shook, a massive head of a dragon peeking up behind the human. It was a massive white dragon, spikes that looked like quills crowning the dragon as it looked down on them with liquid blue eyes. It had two huge tusks coming from the sides of its mouth, black being mixed in with the white. She could barely see its legs and huge eyt small for its size wings, being that there were ledges covering it.

The human raised their hand and the dragon calmed, he couldn't believe it, the dragon was tamed! She shook her head and for some reason, holstered her axes.

The human tilted their head and then walked forward, still crouched a little but standing straighter and taller. They reached up from their mask, and then took if off, only a seconds hesitation stopping them.

The mask was gone, revealing a young woman.

She had long brown hair that would've cascaded down her shoulders, if it weren't for the three tight braids that held them in place. Her cheeks were smooth and her face one of perfection, her light yet dark green eyes staring at her.

Wait, she'd seen those eyes before, but where. Her face looked familiar, her features unmistakable, buts he drew up a blank.

Every time she used her abilities her mind grew fuzier, Elsa said it was from exhausting, but she thought something else.

* * *

><p>From the moment she saw her face she knew she recognized her, but from where she knew not.<p>

Her mask was off, showing the five girls who she really was.

How they got there, she didn't know, all she knew was that one of them was Viking, the rest were not.

She tried to think of where the blonde with the axes was from, but she couldn't think of anywhere. Maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her, being with dragons for years can do that to you.

She walked up to them and gave a slight smile, one she knew would calm them. She prepared to speak, but growling and snarling to communicate with dragons was the only thing she'd done for years, and speaking was harder then she remembered.

She then thought back to the blonde with the axes, she'd growled. Though it wasn't a growl of a dragon, but a wolf. How did the girl know how to growl, and to sound just like one?

Maybe she lived with them, if she could live with dragons then living with wolves didn't see so impossible. But wolves were savage creatures, killing dragons in sight for a little meal.

She stopped her thoughts, years ago that's what she'd almost come to think of dragon when one had almost killed her son, Hiccup, but then Cloudjumper took her to the home of the Bewilderbeast and she lived with them.

If she gave dragons a chance and they proved kind and gentle creatures, than maybe wolves could to.

She cleared her throat, only being able to say a single word. " H-hi. "


	14. Practice Run

An explosion sounded off to her left and she crouched low to the ground, slowing her breaths and relaxing her muscles.

Shrubs and branches surrounded her, the dirt smeared and leaf covered armor she wore protecting her from any prying eyes.

She tensed as another blast sounded, lava and magma sprinkling the side of her mask.

She took a deep breath and let it slowly exhale through her nose. She'd closed her eyes when she'd crouched down, so then when she let her breath go she snapped them open.

Another explosion went off to her left, a shriek of surprise following it as the dirt around her swirled and rose into the air, that one was a close one.

She gripped the handle of her axe, rubbing her thumb over the worn cloth that was wrapped around it.

She turned to her left and got up, slowly walking as she was still in her crouched position. When she neared the end of the bush she'd used as cover, she did a roll so that she would end up behind another shrub.

Before she could complete her roll she heard a noise that distinctly sounded like someone shooting at her. The dirt behind her flew upward, a line of flying dirt and leaves following her.

She jumped the last inch to the bush, tucking her knees close to her chest as she landed on her back. She shot upward, diving into a small ditch so she wouldn't be shot.

A snapping sound reached her ears off to her right and she threw herself deeper in the ditch, glad her dirty armor hid her from the eyes of a normal person.

She heard the slow and cautious footsteps getting closer and closer, opening her eyes to see a foot right in front of her face. She didn't move, didn't breath, only mentally relaxing when she found the person hadn't seen her yet.

The person started walking away, and she had to make a split second decision, would she attack, or would she wait out the battle? The person started walking away and her body made the decision minutes before her brain could even comprehend what she was doing.

She shot up, making sure to be silent as she shadowed the person until she was so close she could hear their heartbeat.

Ther person stiffened, and she stiffened with her. The armored person swiveled their head around and she crouched down, leaning to the right so as she couldn't be seen. The armored person looked to their right, and she did the same thing as before, except this time leaning left.

She relaxed when the person continued on walking, slowly and silently as they crouched down, using the bushes as cover. It was then that she had a good view of the person.

The person had on thin cloth as armor, as did she and all the other fighters. The person wore a mask, the colorful design of black, brown, and green covering the mask. The person's cloth body armor was also the same colors, though some of that due to the mud and dirt that surrounded them.

In the person's hand was a finely crafted bow, quiver slung across their back and arrows filling it, their sharp and deadly tips covered with dirt and mud so they wouldn't glint. The person had an arrow notched, body tense and ready as she cocked her head, listening.

She slowly walked around the person and neared them from the behind, deciding it was time to take them out.

She'd put her axe back in its handle, not actually wanting to hurt the person. She drew a small dagger that was strapped to the back of her belt, the weapon not actually being a weapon.

The blade of the dagger was filled with cooled but still hot Gronckle lava, Monstrous Nightmare saliva coating the lava and hardening around it so that a little bit of the magma stayed glowing. In Between the base of the handle and the bottom of the blade was a small spring, letting the blade push into the handle when she 'stabbed' someone, not actually hurting them but slightly opening the top of the blade and letting the lava run out, acting as fake blood to mark the person as 'dead'.

In fact with half of the weapons being fake, she wasn't even really fighting, it was a practice run.

Five months ago her, Elsa, Merida, Anna, and Rapunzel had met Valka, the face under the mask as she called her, well in her head anyway.

It'd just been a feeling, a gut instinct that they had been led to Valka, and once they explained everything to her, their power over the elements, the book, even the wolves, and each of their stories of how they'd run away, she'd welcomed them.

They'd kind of moved in after that, of course going back to get Angus once they were allowed to stay, surprisingly the horse didn't mind the dragons and just got a little unpredictable when they neared Merida.

Valka had been amazed with her story of the wolves, reading everyone of her dirt and rock Norse Words until the story was over. She could tell she was a Viking, but from where she didn't know.

The face behind the mask had then introduced them to Cloudjumper, all of them being scared, her, slightly curious.

He was a fairly nice dragon, intelligent, curious, calming, sweet, but a beast all the same. She did hang around him sometimes, and didn't shoo him away when he offered his company, but she didn't really like him either. He was still a dragon, and a dragon he would stay.

Then Valka had introduced them to the Bewilderbeast. She'd been amazed and shocked at the same time, it was wrong in all Viking ways, but she was impressed by him. He had the same look Elsa had sometimes, stern, serious, caring, demanding, but he was the King so.

She'd never seen what Valka called a Queen, but she was told it was smaller than the King, and she couldn't think of anything being bigger than the massive Bewilderbeast.

Then she'd introduced them to all the other dragons in the ice fortress she called a Nest. They'd all been hesitant when meeting the dragons, her almost shopping off one's head and Elsa almost piercing it with an ice spike when one of them had gotten a little too close.

But the real chaos started when Valka led them to the part of the Nest the Deadly Nadders lived in.

She'd been angry, hate filled when her eyes landed on the first chicken like dragon. She'd almost killed one, her vision fuzzy and her mind clouded with rage, they were savage beasts and they didn't deserve to live.

They'd all asked why she'd reacted like that to the Deadly Nadders when she didn't do the same thing to the other dragons, but she didn't answer, just looked at the wall of an ice cave the rest of the day, her weapons stripped from her for her own and the dragon's safety.

By the third month she could restrain herself from getting her axe out when she saw them, but she still avoided them as much as possible. Their type of dragon had killed her father, led her to almost trust it, but that was just it. She had trusted it, in the moments she'd somehow learned to love it, so watching it bleed was like killing herself from the inside out.

She knew one thing in battle, learn about your opponents, think like them, talk like them, get inside their mind. But when she did she learned to love them, and to then to kill them brought more pain than possible.

But then she'd met Valka and her dragons, not having to get inside anyone's mind meaning no pain. So instead of killing, she did practice runs. When a practice run was in session the dragons and Vaka were in their respective homes that were caves in the ice walls, some made of rock and some made of ice.

Then her, Elsa, Merida, Anna, Rapunzel, and Anna would get suited up in their armor and run around the Nest, trying to 'kill' each other, the last one standing being the victor.

But seeing as they couldn't actually kill each other they used weapons that acted as weapons, while not actually harming anyone in the process.

The dagger she'd just pulled out was she called a Saliva Slipper. The saliva part being the Monstrous Nightmare saliva that coated the blade and the slipper part being the fact that the blade slipped into its handle. Surprisingly, Rapunzel had come up with the original idea for the weapon, each of them adding their own personal flare to it.

Another weapon was what she liked to call the Gronckle Bomb. Anna had come up with the idea, even using some of her firebending to create the first model.

It was a hollow Terrible Terror egg filled with Gronckle lava once again wrapped in a thick layer of hardened Monstrous Nightmare saliva. When the egg was cracked the pressure holding it together and broke, setting the bomb off, the cool lava 'killing' anyone it hit extremely, if you were only splattered you were considered slightly injured.

Another weapon she liked was not really a weapon anyway, she called it the Brain Freezer. Elsa had come up with it, perfecting it and everything.

It was another hollow Terrible Terror egg filled with cooled lava, it was surrounded by Monstrous Nightmare saliva, then covered with a thick layer of ice. All you had to do was poke a hole deep enough inside the egg so that you could pierce through the ice and saliva so you could reach the lava. The lava would then reach the ice, setting off the bomb inside by mixing with it and the Monstrous Nightmare salvia. But you had to be able to control ice to set it off, so really only her and Elsa could use it.

When the lava mixed with the ice you had to harden the ice, making it freezing cold and creating friction between the fire and ice, it would then become uncontrollable and explode.

But one bomb that everyone could use was what she liked to call was the Blinding Blades. Merida had come up with it. But it wasn't a weapon for human, but for dragons.

You would have to grind Dragon Nip, a plant that could swoon a dragon, together until it became a liquid, then you would coat it in any dragon's saliva. It was covered in slight Monstrous Nightmare saliva, and very small traces of Gronckle lava being on top of the saliva. When the egg it was in cracked, it would explode, the Dragon Nip liquid spreading everywhere and taking out any dragon in a second.

Valka hadn't agreed to the to the idea at first, but when they assured her they wouldn't use it on any of her dragons, she'd agreed. Though because they didn't use it on the dragons, they didn't use it much at all.

Another weapon she liked was what she called a Slosher Slugger. It was much like a bola, a long rope that had two heavy rocks connected at the end, made to down dragons.

It was a thick rope of three thick vines twined together, the long vine covered in dried Monstrous Nightmare saliva. It had a hollow Gronckle egg attached to each egg, acting as the rock did on the bola, but it wasn't just there for extra weight.

The eggs were filled with Gronckle lava, the lava coated in a thick layer of Monstrous Nightmare saliva. There was a hole on the top of each eggs, the ends of the vine attached to the inside of the egg and connecting, so no lava leaked. When you pulled the two eggs apart the vines covered in Monstrous Nightmare saliva and Gronckle lava makes it flammable, and it catches fire. You can then throw it at anything, keeping the target still with the cool but harmful lava that coats the vine.

But the best weapon so far, is the one Merida came up with. The redhead calls it the Mini Blaze, but she likes to call it, a Slingshot.

It was made out of a piece of thick stick either naturally looking like a V with a sticking out from where the two pieces met, or carves to look like that. It had strong vines entwined with some shedded tail hail from Angus that had its end attached to the two pieces that made the V. It had a little piece of wood at the base of the string and when you pulled it back it shot out whatever you chose.

There were weapons that included using their elements, but she wasn't using her elements in the practice run, none of them were. They were running a normal practice run, learning how to fight if they weren't able to use their element in any way.

The person in front of her which due to the bow she'd identified as Merida, walked on, unaware of the attacker that followed close behind her. She readjusted the grip on the Saliva Slipper, moving forward as she prepared to go in for the kill.

she wrapped her left arm around Merida's throat, kicking the backs of her right knee with her leg and choking the redhead as she fell down. Unfortunately for her, Merida had brought up her arms a split second before she could wrap hers around the girl's throat, giving her the chance to escape.

Merida yanked her hands forward and made her leg go, spinning around and jumping up, throwing a swift right punch than a left uppercut, jabbing her in the stomach while she guarded her face. She dodged Merida's punch and brought up her own fists, successfully hitting the girl in the face with a right, right, right, then left.

Merida's head jerked back and she crouched low to the ground, running at her and wrapping her arms around her waist to take her down. She punched Merida in the face, gripping the Saliva Slipper that she found she no longer had. She looked around and found her dagger, laying on the ground a few feet away.

When she got Merida off she still wasn't able to grab a footing, so she fell. She twisted her body and landed on her hands, going into a roll and she then whipped out her feet, using her momentum to turn her around and kick Merida's feet out from under her.

Merida landed on the ground, the air being knocked out of her lungs as she laid there, slightly dazed. She took the opportunity and ran over to her dagger, flipping it in her hand so that she was holding the blade. She then turned around and threw it just as the redhead was about to get up.

The Saliva Slipper made contact with Merida's armor and made a _thunk _as the blade slipped into its handle, the cooled Gronckle lava coming out of the slit in the top of the blade and splattering Merida's with red and orange.

Merida fell to the ground, acting dead as she watched with open eyes, a silent curse playing on her lips as she continued to stay like that.

Astrid walked over to the 'dead' girl and picked up her Saliva Slipper, making sure it still had some lava inside so that it could continue to be used. She walked over to the redhead and took her Saliva Slipper, putting it on her belt along with her own dagger-like weapon.

She then continued on.

Crouching low to the ground she made her way to one of the high points of the Nest, perching behind some shrubs and trees as she sat on the ledge, trying to find the others.

She heard a grunt and the swooshing sound of a knife being thrown, following the noise her eyes landed on the sight of what she could only guess of Rapunzel and Anna fighting.

A Saliva Slipper flew through the ground, heading for the armored figure of Anna. Said girl dodged, jumping to the left and curling into a ball, rolling behind the cover of bush. She pulled out two Saliva Slippers from her belt, crossing her arms over her chest as she jumped out of her hiding spot.

Anna jumped out from behind the tree the way she came, throwing the daggers in midair as she safely landed behind another group of shrubs. Rapunzel dodged the attack, jumping out of the way and sliding behind some bushes, unclipping what looked like a Slosher Slugger from her belt, keeping the two eggs together as she waited.

Anna peered out from behind her bush, pulling out a Slingshot and reaching into a pouch that rested against her left hip, her hand going in with nothing and coming out with a mini Gronckle Bomb. It was mini because it was made from hollow Fireworm eggs, not Terrible Terrors.

Anna placed the mini Gronckle Bomb in the curved dip of the wood that was at the base of the vines, pulling the vines back and letting it go. The mini Gronckle Bomb hit a branch literally right next to Rapunzel's face, cracking and exploding as Rapunzel ducked, only getting sprinkled by the lava.

It was then that Rapunzel jumped out of her hiding place, pulling the two Gronckle eggs apart and swinging the Slosher Slugger over her head, waiting until the whole vine caught fire before throwing it.

Anna tried to jumped but the Slosher Slugger caught her legs, not burning through her cloth armor and harming her but weighing her down and making her crash into some bushes. Anna tried to scramble to her feet, desperately clawing at the vines like a wolf-no, she couldn't think about that, about _them._

Rapunzel knew she got Anna. She ran for the girl, picking up her Saliva Slipper that had landed on the ground, running at Anna. When she reached the girl she drew back her hand that held the Saliva Slipper, aiming it for Anna, but the girl wasn't going down without a fight, fire was always stubborn.

Anna moved her still clamped together feet, knocking Rapunzel down. Rapunzel fell on her face, her dagger slipping out of her hand and landing next to Anna. Anna reached for the Saliva Slipper and bit on the handle, she then sat up as best she could, hugging her knees to her chest. She grabbed the dagger with her hand and cut herself free.

Rapunzel was by then getting up, but she was too late. Anna kicked out and landed a hard blow on the girl's chest, pinning her under her as she quickly slit her throat with her Saliva Slipper. Rapunzel stilled, acting dead as she just watched.

Anna walked over and picked up her Saliva Slippers, holding them in her hands as she then put Rapunzel's on her belt. Three daggers, she could be dangerous with that amount of weapons. She then walked over to Rapunzel, pulling the blonde's second S;losher Slugger from her belt and clipping it on to her own.

She watched as Anna walked away, slinking back behind the bushes and making her way down from the ledge. She heard a yell and then an explosion, quickly but silently making her way over to the noise, hiding behind shrubs and bushes the whole time.

She ended up behind a treeline that outlined a small clearing, the two sisters fighting each other as they each ducked and dodged, being equal in the fight.

Anna grabbed the Slosher Slugger she'd taken from Rapunzel, pulling the two Gronckle eggs apart and throwing them at Elsa. Elsa then did something not even she could do, and she was the best fighter there.

Elsa ducked under the Slosher Slugger, twisting around and looking as if she were dancing as she reached out her right hand above her, she moved her fingers and twirled them also, expertly grabbing the Slosher Slugger and twirling it above her head.

Elsa then turned around while she grabbed the Slosher Slugger, throwing it at her sister and reaching for her Saliva Slipper in a second. Anna ducked under the flaming bola-like weapon, unclipping a Gronckle Bomb from her belt and throwing it at Elsa. Elsa wasn't ready for it, if Astrid didn't intervene now, Elsa would 'die'.

It was a thing the two did, Elsa and Astrid would team up in all the practice runs and 'kill' off the others, fighting each other in the end. Sometimes Merida, Anna, or even Rapunzel won, and sometimes Elsa or Astrid won. When fighting in teams they would almost always pair up, but sometimes they went against each other just for the fun of it.

Astrid ran out from her hiding spot and caught the Gronckle Bomb in midair, curling into a ball to shield Elsa just encase it exploded as she landed on the ground.

Elsa and her were the same age, so that made them connect a little more than they did with the others, they also had a lot of things in common. They both were stern and focused, seriousness in their nature as they did play around a bit, but not with the others around. They both didn't like Merida very much, and they both liked Anna and Rapunzel, though Anna a little more than Rapunzel.

Astrid had grown fond of the little redhead, no not Merida, Anna. Anna was sweet and young, innocent and cheerful, it was almost sad that she had to spend time away from her family, away from her home. Elsa and her had silently agreed to protect Anna, Elsa being her older sister and Astrid being because she couldn't stand to see her sad or hurt.

But other than that Elsa and her could both fight pretty good, and soon Astrid couldn't resist teaching her a few moves. They taught each other stuff and bonded through their strengthening friendship, so Astrid not only worked with Elsa, she also protected her.

She loved Anna, liked Rapunzel, and tolerated Merida, but she thought of Elsa as more, kind of like the sister she never had. For some reason Elsa reminded Astrid of home, and she stuck with Elsa, feeling like she could be a little more free around the girl.

But then she got to know Elsa a little more, and the more she knew her, the more she got inside her head. It was like what she did with her enemies, got to know them, but with Elsa she did it unintentionally. But everyday fighting Elsa became a little more harder, taking her out by using the weaknesses she'd discovered the girl had made her wince.

Seeing Elsa in pain also brought her in pain, and every time she saw Elsa in a weak state she always hesitated,she still fought her, but everyday she stiffened more and more, and she knew it was just a matter of time before she couldn't fight the blonde anymore.

So instead of fighting her often she protected her. It wasn't necessary, but she still did it. So as she wrapped her body around the Gronckle Bomb she only had one thought in her mind, protect Elsa.

Once her feet touched the ground she threw the bomb at Anna. The girl jumped out of the way, pulling out her Slingshot in midair and firing at her. The Gronckle Bomb exploded just as Anna landed, showering them in a rainfall of lava but not enough to 'kill' them.

She pulled out her own Slingshot, reaching into her pouch and pulling out some mini Gronckle Bombs. She put the mini Gronckle Bombs at the base of the vines and pulled back, reloading seconds after the vine left her fingers, giving Elsa enough time to duck for cover.

Anna hid behind some bushes and didn't come out, Astrid stopped for a second, wondering if the girl had made a dash for better cover or to just get away. All the sudden a Gronckle Bomb was thrown at her from behind a bush, the already cracked egg meaning it would go off the second it hit the ground.

She dove for cover and accidently knocked into Elsa, the two rolled uncontrollably, their fall being stopped by a group of thorn bushes. They got up, keeping low to the ground as all around them the world when silent.

Astrid saw a flash of color to her left, a flash of red color. For some reason her mind drifted to an all too familiar wolf, red fur and red and orange eyes, and for a moment she saw Bloodfire standing right in front of her.

The red Dire Wolf cocked its head at her, its tongue lolling out of the side of her mouth as she wagged her tail, happy to see her. Astrid was shocked, and she shook her head, believing she'd finally lost it. But when she looked up the wolf was still staring at her.

Bloodfire whined at her, crouching down and growling in a playful manner, and Astrid relaxed. She heard voices or a voice, but she ignored it, too focused on the wolf she hadn't seen in five months.

She took a step closer, and all the sudden she saw something change. Bloodfire's eyes turned shades darker, the red and black part of her eyes consuming the orange. She got up and growled, ears flat against her head and claws unsheathed as she stalked forward.

Astrid backed up, and then her eyes grew at what she saw next.

The red Dire Wolf started to flicker, disappearing for a second and then reappearing moments later. All the sudden she was gone, Nightcloud replacing her. His stance was the same, a snarl playing on his maw. Then she saw Ambereyes, the usually calm and sweet wolf looking as if she was ready to murder.

She saw all the wolves in front of her, every detail of them looking the same, she even saw the pups, and Thor. But thens he looked at their eyes, and she noticed something. The body of the wolf changed rapidly and unpredictably, but the eyes never changed from the haunting red they were when she'd saw Bloodfire, and then...they were gone.

In front of he she saw Anna's worried face, eyes filled with concern as she waved a hand in front of her face. She was shocked and slightly scared, her mind reeling and her eyes still wide. Whens he saw Anna's face she was jerked back into consciousness and she acted on her skittish mind and split second decisions.

Astrid grabbed the arm Anna was waving right in front of her face, which just so happened to be her left. She grabbed it by the wrist and twisted it, switching her grasp from her left to her right as she brought her left back, ready to strike Anna's twisted elbow. She knew what it would do, in the back of her mind she saw the image of Anna's bone sticking outward, where it shouldn't be.

She suddenly stopped herself, pulling her arms back to her sides as she took a step back, rubbing her head. She looked up to see Anna clutching her twisted wrist, a look of pain on her face, her eyes flickering with fear.

She felt guilty,s he hadn't known what she was doing, didn't know what she saw. She remembered Bloodfire, but she looked around, no wolves. All she saw were the confused faces of her teammates, Merida and Rapunzel having made their way over when they'd heard Anna's scream.

" We're done, practice runs over. " Came Elsa's firm voice, her figure standing next to Anna as she led her little sister to the Healer's Cave, the place where wounds were taken care of.

All the sudden Valka was next to them, her face one of curiousity and urgency. " Are you alright dear? " She asked Anna, the girl in response nodded.

" I can play. " Anna said, her lips pursed and her jaw set in a stubborn way. Elsa looked at her, eyes narrowed and words a seething hiss.

" Anna you're injured and you're going to the Healer's Cave, but you are not going to continue playing. "

Anna looked at her, then at Valka. " I can play. "

Valka just nodded. " Next run. You're going to be partnered up, one playing by themselves and the others in groups of two. In this run elements and run weapons are involved. Game starts as soon as Anna's wrist gets wrapped. "

With that being said Valka led Anna to the Healer's Cave, talking to her and asking her how much pain she felt.

Elsa looked at her, only slight anger showing in her eyes, and she knew the anger was because of Anna's stubbornness.

" What happened out there? You just...froze up. "

Astrid looked away, not wanting to answer the question. She took off her mask and ran a hand through her loose blonde hair, sighing as the fresh air from the Nest met her sweaty face. She shook her head, her universal sign for saying nothing.

Elsa looked at her, the same stubborn look in Anna's eyes now in hers. " Are you alright? "

She brought up her right hand, moving her fingers and jerking her wrist in such a way that looked like her hand was having a spasm, but she wasn't, she was signing signing the word fine.

When they'd been in the Nest for only a couple days Valka had left them to go feed the dragons, saying she'd bring them back some fish, but they'd already been starving, not having breakfast and all.

So Elsa had taken out a book that listed poison and edible foods, surprised and angry when she found out the book didn't really give th information she'd wanted. It was a book that spoke of an old language, though the cover resembled that it gave information about food.

Astrid had been curious and asked to see the book, Elsa had given it to her. She read it and slowly learned the language, being surprised and happy when it wasn't one you had to speak, but one that used hand movements.

She caught on to the language quickly and learned from the book, trying to teach it to the others so that they'd be able to understand her. Anna and Rapunzel were too young to learn, and Merida kept on pounding her head into the wall after five minutes of lessons, so that left Elsa.

She'd learned with her, and that had been one way their friendship had grown. But Elsa could sign as well, them two being the only ones knowing what each other said. Elsa usually spoke for her when she signed, the others not understanding.

Elsa looked at her for a second, then just nodded. Merida and Rapunzel made their way to the wash, a small lake in the middle of the Nest to wash off. Astrid followed, even though she hadn't gotten hit really.

She caught a flash of movement from Elsa's wrist as the blonde disappeared behind the brush to find her sister, leaving her signed words nagging at the back of her mind.

_**I don't believe you.**_


	15. Slipping

**A/N: I've been really busy with school, family problems, violin practice, and all the chores, not to mention writing 4,000 words is harder than I thought. I'll probably be updating twice every two days so that's about three times a week. Sorry, but I can't find enough time.**

* * *

><p>" Ok, you know what to do. Game starts when I give the signal. " Valka's word rung<p>

through the Nest, reaching the girl's ears and having them nod in response.

Elsa immediately walked over to Astrid, a smirk playing on her lips as their eyes shined with mischief.

" I dinnae like th' look on yer faces. " Merida said, the other three girls around her giving grimacing looks. With them playing together, they were in for a beating.

Astrid jerked her wrist and moved her fingers, her hand a blur of movements as she signed to Elsa, making a symbol with her hand that meant she was imitating Merida.

_**It's nae tha' we win **_**all **_**th' time.**_

Elsa smiled and flicked her own wrist, also making the symbol of five fingers spread out and the index and middle finger pushed into the palm that meant she was mimicking Merida's accent.

_**It's jus' tha' we win **_**most...**_**o' the time.**_

Elsa and Astrid smiled, Merida knowing well enough the one symbol of them mimicking her, they used it so much, it was the only one she understood, and she saw it often.

" Och, there's nae need to be rude abou' my accent. "

Elsa and Astrid's faces turned emotionless until Elsa turned to look at the other blonde, flicking her wrist and moving her fingers.

_**Says the redhead who mocks me five times every ten minutes.**_

Astrid smiled as she shook her head, looking at Elsa and then at Merida.

A roar that belonged to a certain Stormcutter rung through the air, the low then high pitched short roar slightly reminding her of Bloodfire, and the beautiful songs her pack could sing.

She shook her head, no, she wouldn't think about them. It had been five months, but the memories of the wolves were still fresh in her mind, she hadn't lied when she'd thought to them that she'd never forget them.

Elsa and Astrid made their way to their favorites hiding spot, smack dab in the middle of the Nest.

They both traveled through the forest, stepping on soft leaves and patches of grass as they slowly made their way to the tree. They stayed low to the ground, hands near their Saliva Slippers as they were cautious.

When they did near the tree they were surprised to find that Rapunzel was already there, sitting completely still in one of the branches, Slosher Slugger in hand. If it weren't for her ability to also control earth, she would've never been able to sense her.

Elsa kept walking on, and she put her arm in front of the girl to stop her. Elsa gave her a questioning look, but they'd learned to trust each other, so she stopped.

_**Land Lover, scar side, five thick up.**_

Elsa looked where she told her, and her eyes landed on the figure of Rapunzel, the younger girl unaware of their presence.

They used the names the book gave them to identify each other. The scar side was what side she told Elsa Rapunzel was on.

The base of the tree was thick and round, a huge tree it was, but on its left side was a deep split on the tree, they called it a scar. The five thick up was how high up she told Elsa Rapunzel was. She'd told her to count up five of the thick branches, her eyes eventually landing on Rapunzel.

_**What's the plan?**_

Astrid looked around, squinting and looking at their surroundings. Around the quite massive tree was a quite small clearing, scraggly bushes and trees ranging from size to size acting as the border that ended the clearing. The grass next to the tree was uneven, some blades longer than the idea, it was then that she got an idea.

_**Round the base, Slingshot distraction, move in, take down.**_

Elsa got what she was signing and nodded, turning around and slowly making her way to the opposite side of the clearing, being consumed by the bushes and slight shadows in a way that made a shiver run up and down her spine.

A few moments passed and she listened to the birds singing, yes luckily the dragons didn't eat birds, only fish. That surprised her, on Berk the dragons always took sheep, chicken, yaks, and even wild animals, never fish.

She saw a flash of white light come from the other end of the clearing, the signal that Elsa was in place.

A few seconds later a couple mini Gronckle Bombs were fired at the spot where Rapunzel was, the mini bombs purposely missing their target and hitting the branches around the girl.

Rapunzel ducked and ran down the branch she was on, assuming cover in the middle of the tree where the branches were thickest and provided protection, but they also didn't let her get an accurate aim.

Rapunzel clipped her Slosher Slugger back on her belt and pulled out her Slingshot, firing back at where Elsa was, not accurately but to just stop the mini Gronckle Bombs from coming her way.

Astrid grabbed a Saliva Slipper from her belt and flipped it over so that she was holding the blade, pulling her arm back and aiming for the back of Rapunzel's head. She closed one eyes and adjusted her aim due to the slight breeze that slipped through the openings of the fortress and entered the Nest.

She breathed out and relaxed her muscles, tensing them once more as she threw the Saliva Slipper with extreme force.

The dagger soared the the air, going straight for Rapunzel as it sliced through the air and made a slight whistling sound, the whistling reminding her of the earsplitting scream that the Nightfury gave before it attacked Berk's catapults, she shook her head to get rid of the thought.

All the sudden an arrow sliced through the air, clashing against the Saliva Slipper and making the dagger steer off course, making it fall into a bush that outline the clearing.

Astrid cursed as she jumped out of the way, a second later a rain of mini Gronckle Bombs were set upon where she had been. The line of fire trailed her, grazing her armor and hitting a tree that she had hid behind at the last second.

She recalled where the arrow and mini Gronckle Bombs had come from, figuring out that-she could only guess but the arrows kind of narrowed it down-Merida was hiding in a tree that had been to her left.

Astrid gripped her axe out of numb Viking instinct, but pulled her hand away when she remembered she was doing a practice run. Then she smiled, a practice run that allowed her to use her elements.

She closed her eyes and took in deep and slow breaths, relaxing her muscles and letting all the sound around her disappear. She clenched her fists, creating sliver like icicles all around the clearing, slowly but surely covering the whole Nest floor in small icicles.

The ice was a part of her, and some how she could see through it, see through the vibrations that coursed through it when something moved. The outer walls of the Nest were already made of ice, but for some reason she couldn't see through it.

She came to the conclusion that it was because it was the Bewilderbeast's ice, he could control the minds of dragons Valka had told her, so she came up with the idea that somehow he could also see through his ice.

She let the ice cover the trees and frost over the leafs, the small icicles being so small that no one noticed them, no one except Elsa. They'd found out that they could see through each other ice, and if the other used the ice element, the other would be aware of it.

It was the same with Merida, Anna, and Rapunzel. She could sense her use of their powers and they could sense the use of hers if she was using their element. It was all very confusing, weird, and complicated.

Astrid closed her eyes as the world around her was one of black. There was small movement and a tree about ten feet away from her lit up in white, the figure of merida hidden behind some shrubs adding color to the once blank darkness.

She saw Elsa move on the other side of the clearing, slowly crawling up to the back of the tree and under a long branch, hiding under shrubs and bushes so that Rapunzel couldn't see her. She moved her head a little and light appeared on her closed eyelids, distracting her and making her lose focus.

She reached for a cloth she'd had tied around her wrist, wrapping it around her head and tying it at the back so that her eyes were covered. whens he did this she found it easier to see through her icy powers.

She saw Merida leap down from the tree, grabbing a Slingshot and slowly creeping towards her while she made no sound. Astrid smiled, Elsa nor her had even told the others about the ability of being able to see them with her ice, so they were always stumped when she snuck up on them.

But there was one problem, while she and Elsa could easily sneak up on Anna and Merida, Rapunzel wasn't so much as the same case. Rapunzel could control earth, and Astrid had learned that she could also see through earth.

She didn't think Rapunzel knew that she could see through her power, but she didn't want her to find out. Yes, she would tell her if she were in real danger, but her not knowing about the ability her powers gave her let her win the practice runs.

Astrid slowly crawled away, making sure that Merida didn't notice as she slowly came up behind the girl.

Merida lept at the tree she'd been hiding behind and stabbed the wood, letting out a confused gasp as she looked around.

Astrid bent down to the ground and kicked Merida's legs out from under her, letting the girl fall as she brought up her knee, letting the redhead's head violently smack against her knee. Merida let out a yelp of pain and held her head, she took the opportunity to kicked the girl over and stab her on the back of her head with her Saliva Slipper, successfully 'killing' her.

Merida stayed still, an annoyed and defeated expression on her face as Astrid just smiled, flicking her wrist and making a few words, even though she knew Merida didn't understand nor was she looking.

_**Wind is made for silence, but even wind, can be hear.**_

With that she took Merida's Slingshot, Saliva Slipper, and one of her Slosher Sluggers, not having enough room for all of the redhead's weapons on her belt. Now she had three Saliva Slippers, two Slosher Sluggers, two Slingshots, a pouch full of mini Gronckle Bombs, and another pouch on her left hip full of two Gronckle Bombs.

She turned around and walked back to the clearing, keeping low to the ground as she looked at the world around her through her ice. She suddenly felt something nagging at the back of her mind, and she mentally shifted so she could see what was bothering her.

She grasped the little pulsing in her head and once she did she saw the faint outline of the Nest, though it was different from the way she saw through the ice.

The ground under her was pulsing faintly, the colors glowing and the unknown world beneath the ground being seen by her, only to disappear. She was then aware that Rapunzel was using her element.

She let her ice powers slip as she tightened her hold on Rapunzel's power, using her own element of earth as she continued walking on.

She knew using Rapunzel's power would help her find the blonde and help her take it down, but it was also risky. Rapunzel could sense her use of ehr element and could easily track her down, they would both be equal. But Astrid could control all four, well kind of.

Everyday when the woke up at least an hour before the sun rose, they would meet up with their Teachers. Surprisingly their Teacher hadn't been Valka, but the ones who lived with her.

Rapunzel's Teacher was a female Gronckle, brown and bumpy but a little slim for her kind. She had kind carmel brown eyes and her lava would always see to glow brighter than the other Gronckle's lava.

Merida's Teacher was Deadly Nadder. The beast was so vain, and usually spent the whole time cleaning himself or pressing his _precious _wing. Tch, if Merida hadn't whipped him into shape by giving compliments ever so often to keep him from preening she would've gladly chopped off his wings so he could focus.

Anna's Teacher was a Monstrous Nightmare. She was kind and sweet, and not as stubborn as her kind held credit for. When she flamed her fire was a more orange outlined by red and yellow, and she was very pretty. There were always other male Nightmare's trying to grab her attention, but in lessons her yellow eyes were always locked on Anna, like a good Teacher.

Elsa had the best Teacher out of all of them, the Bewilderbeast. He was very kind and calm, his patience never ending and his light blue eyes always focused, curious, and prideful. He usually spit out small flurries of ice and snow at Elsa to redirect, but he never hurt her.

And then there was her, Astrid. She no longer used the word Hofferson, it tied her back to Berk, whens he should be focusing on her training. She would go back, but not yet, she wasn't ready yet.

She usually alternated through all of them. She trained with Rapunzel, then Merida, then the next day she trained with Anna, then with Elsa. It was a never ending cycle. She was improving with all her elements, but her worst training days were with Preening King, as she'd dubbed him, and redhead wing bender.

He was so annoying and frustrating, and not to mention Merida. She always gave him compliments, and she trained extra with him just to shove it in her and Elsa's facts. That's partly why her and Elsa trained extra, extra hard. And it's why they teamed up, so they could smother Merida with their boasting.

The redhead's face then became as red as her hair, whether it was because of anger or embarrassment, her and Elsa didn't know nor care.

Aastrid started to walk around to behind the tree when she felt another nag in her mind, and then surprisingly another. She reached and grasped both, realizing that both Rapunzel and Anna were using their firepower and earth bending.

She quickly made her way to the tree, using her earth sight to make sure no one was sneaking up on her. She walked up behind a crouching Elsa and tapped her shoulder.

Elsa swung at her out of surprise and she ducked, reaching up to grab Elsa's wild arm and pinning her other with her strong grasp. Elsa struggled, but when realizing it was only her, relaxed.

_**For Thor's sake you could've taken off my head.**_

Elsa looked away and signed her own words, still keeping an eye out for any danger.

_**You know I don't know who Thor is and nor do I care. And it would've taken a lot more than my hand to chop off your head, seeing as how big it is.**_

Astrid gapped as a smiled tugged at teh corner of her lips, Elsa turned and smiled back at her. Astrid then cuffed the blonde on the back of the head, pulling away and looking around to make herself look innocent.

_**So immature.**_

Elsa signed while holding up the symbol for sarcasm.

Astrid shook her head then stiffened when her earth sight caught sight of someone moving in behind them, not knowing they were there but still coming at them.

Elsa noticed her stiffen and looked at her curiously. Astrid switched to her ice sight while still holding on to her earth sight, allowing Elsa to see what she could see as she slowly sunk into the shadows the shrubs and bushes provided.

Elsa looked at her and nodded, seemingly disappearing into thin air as she to hid. Not a second later Anna silently came out from a bush, looking around to make sure no one knew she was there.

Her eyes shifted from Anna to something that was moving on the grass just a few feet in front of the girl, her eyes widening and a smile finding its way on her face when she realized what was moving was ice, Elsa's ice.

Anna stepped on the ice and it stiffened, turning dark as it froze completely. Anna slipped and let out a surprised yelp as she landed on her back, her head thwacking against the ground as she let out a groan of pain.

Elsa jumped out of her hiding place and pinned down Anna as she held to foot to her sister's throat, Saliva Slipper in hand and she prepared to 'stab' the girl.

Anna quickly reacted as she threw Elsa's foot off her throat by hitting her leg. Elsa stumbled slightly but was still standing over her younger sister. Anna kicked up her right leg and hit Elsa in the butt, making the girl fall over.

Anna slid out from under the girl and stood up, letting Elsa fall on her face. But before she could touch the ground the ice bender held out her arms, stopping her fall and twisting around so that she was still crouched on the ground but was slightly turned. It looked like a painful position but if it was, Elsa said nothing.

The older sister then twisted her legs so that they were even with the top half of her body, kicking Anna in the chest in the process as she did a backflip, landing on her legs as she then threw her Saliva Slipper at Anna.

The younger redhead ducked and rolled out of the way, unclipping a Slosher Slugger and pulling the Gronckle eggs apart. When the vine caught flame she threw it at Elsa. Said girl again caught the bola-like weapon and then swung it over her head.

Elsa then used her icy magic to then freeze the vine in a thick layer of ice, frosting the eggs over with ice also as sharp spikes grew on the eggs. She threw it at Anna and the girl fell down, limbs wrapped against each other as she struggled.

Anna put her index and middle finger against the frozen vines as a small flame came from her fingertips, melting the ice and burning through the vine. Elsa threw her Saliva Slipper and Amna jerked her head to the right, the dagger barely missing her face.

Elsa would've never done this to Anna before, but they were in a practice run. Here they weren't sisters, here, they were enemies.

Elsa threw another knife at Anna's legs and the girl quickly tucked them close to her chest, but that also gave her the momentum to flip over, which is exactly what he did.

Anna flipped over and crouched down, launching herself at her sister even though she was still tied up, and Astrid froze.

_She lept at the red wolf, sinking her duller human canines into Bloodfire's neck as she shoved her into the den wall, holding her there and snarling._

The memory flashed before her eyes and her mind just stopped, her body reacting faster than ever before. She lept out of her hiding place and rammed into Anna, sending her and the girl onto the ground.

_She threw Bloodfire down to the ground, hitting her across her forehead as the wolf's head violently bumped against the ground._

Without thinking she took out both her Saliva Slippers in a flash and stabbed Anna, holding them there so that all the lava spilled out and drained onto Anna. The girl stayed still and she shakily got up.

She was shaking, her eyes wide and fear consuming her body as she felt her legs fall out from under her.

Elsa walked up to her, a hand on her shoulder as she looked at her with wide and concerned eyes. She flicked her wrist and waited for her answer.

_**Are you ok? What's wrong?**_

Astrid shook her head and slowly got up, a familiar and old feeling frosting over her as she felt herself slipping. She got up and picked up her weapons, face emotionless as she felt her vision go fuzzy. She continued on, not looking back.

Elsa cocked her head and looked at Astrid, then at her sister who was giving her a questioning look. Elsa just shrugged and continued on walking with Astrid.

They crouched close to the ground, slowly walking up behind Rapunzel and climbing up the tree. Astrid crawled up higher and hid in the shadows while Elsa just stayed behind her, slowly sneaking up behind Rapunzel.

Astrid felt a nag and was aware that Rapunzel had her powers active, aware of Elsa, but not of Astrid. When she used her elements she could make sure the others didn't notice her using their elements. It was something the Bewilderbeast had taught her.

Rapunzel turned around and threw a Saliva Slipper at Elsa, the blonde ducking just in time as the dagger flew past her.

Astrid jumped from the tree and and wrapped her right arm around Rapunzel's neck, jutting her knee into the girls back in a painful way so that she couldn't move. She then grabbed her Saliva Slipper and stabbed Rapunzel in the chest, proceeding to slit her throat even though she was already 'dead'.

Another Stormcutter roar rung through the air, signalling the end of the game. Everyone gathered at the small clearing as they grumbled in defeat, Elsa smiling as she turned to congratulate Astrid.

But she was gone.

* * *

><p>Valka was nice, Cloudjumper wasn't to bad, the other dragons were ok, and the Bewilderbeast was very calm and kind.<p>

She stayed by Anna most of the time, slowly spending time with Astrid as the two got closer. She learned to communicate with Astrid, and it was nice, talking about Merida behind her back without the redhead knowing.

It had been five months, slowly crawling to six. But then things started happening, Astrid began to change. She would freeze up, and then just go back to being normal.

But Elsa saw through the act, she was changing, her eyes dulling, her demeanor changing. She wasn't Astrid anymore. She could see the look in the girl's eyes as the weeks went by, the fear and the confusion.

It had been five months since Astrid had tackled Anna and walked away like nothing ever happened, the beginning of her eyes losing their color. Astrid was planning to leave in a month, they all were, but they weren't ready.

For the rest of the remaining month Astrid seemed to drift away, waking up hours earlier and training deep into the night. She created more weapons, some deadly, some for practice runs. She never partnered up with Elsa anymore, just fought them all single handedly.

And every time she won. She beat them so easily, even came out on top unscathed when she'd fought all of them one to three.

She was always busy, working on something or sitting alone. She didn't hang around them as much, but she did occasionally sit with Elsa.

Elsa was concerned for her friend, the blonde she'd come to know like a sister. But there was nothing she could do. Astrid had mentioned being forgetful once, forgetting what she was doing. She even told her about how she saw things at moments, that at night she heard voices thats he hadn't heard in years.

Elsa was worried, but Astrid simply wouldn't accept her help.


	16. Forgotten Memories

She sat there, watching the sun rise. She'd taken the day off of practicing, but the others would never know. She'd rub some dirt on her and dip her head in some water, making it look as if she'd been working out for hours.

She knew it was a matter of time, a matter of time before she and the others left. But to where she didn't know. She'd forgotten, the fog in her mind getting so thick that she'd given up on trying to hold on to the fuzzy images.

She played with a blade of grass in her hand, twirling and twisting it before she finally tore it in two, throwing it down the icy cliff she sat on as she looked up at the still slightly dark sky.

She knew she was going, and she knew what the place looked like, she remembered that much, but she'd forgotten what it was called. When she went to sleep she heard voices, _their _voices. She'd been scared, the sounds oddly familiar yet her mind didn't come up with a face to match the voices.

Whenever she closed her eyes to go to sleep she saw a boy. Crazy copper and slightly rusty red hair blowing in the wind, freckles sprinkling his cheeks as he always had an adorable and slight sexy smile gracing his lip. His lips, oh how she wanted to kiss his lips, but why was something she didn't know.

The image she saw showed his skinny figure, but for some reason she knew there were muscles under his shirt, small but there. She knew he was strong, and she knew he was not to be messed with.

She always got lost in his eyes, his dark green forest eyes. Sometimes dark and glinting in a way that made her shiver, sometimes shining and making her smile, but always looking at her.

She closed her eyes and breathed in the still fresh scent of night time air, letting the breeze brush the loose blonde hair away from her face. Valka had told her she was a natural beauty, and she'd heard the words before, but she never looked at herself, never cared.

She was aware of the scars, the prickling feeling she felt on her face and neck whenever someone stared. She knew the scars had been given to her by the red wolf, and she knew there was more to it than that.

She often dreamed about a red wolf, another wolf with a red eye and a blue eye. A small pup with green eyes, a black pup with caramel brown. She saw wolves in her sleep, and she knew she knew them, but she had no names for them, nothing entered her mind.

And then she saw other faces. Two twins, a boy with a smug smile, a husky boy with intelligent eyes, a small boy with a small smile. His dark eyes clashing against the happiness his smile showed.

She often wondered if the faces matched the voices, but she couldn't match them up. One time she saw a man missing an arm and a leg, another time she saw a mountain of a man with a flaming red beard. Other times she'd see an old frail woman, a staff in her hand.

And then she heard other noises, none calm nor pleasant. She heard roars, bloodcurdling screams that rung in the air and made her wake with a sweat. She heard screeches and growls, but then she hear squawks.

The squawks rung in her ears the loudest, scaring her beyond belief and making her blood boil. She always woke up trying to catch her breath, her eyes wide and shivers racking her body. Sometimes she woke up crying, her sobs hid from the others by the thick cave walls that surrounded her.

She saw images of war. Dead bodies of Vikings, crimson covered dragons that were missing limbs, tears and gashes gushing blood on both dragon and Viking. She could swear she could smell the rotting flesh, taste the coppery and thick taste of blood in her mouth. She often felt the shadow of a feeling of blood bathing her body, her mind drowning in the thick liquid of death.

But then she saw him.

A crimson pool surrounding him, his gray and silver eyes staring at her lifelessly as his tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth. His hand was always positioned as if he was grabbing something, and for some reasons he felt as if the axe she carried wasn't hers, but his.

Then she saw the dragon.

A young Deadly Nadder, a vivid blue and slight purple in color, yellow outlining the blue blotches that matter its wings. Its tail spikes were yellow, its claws bathed in blood and its yellow eyes so close to being fully glazed over by death. She could hear the raspy breaths it gave, feel the pain it was in, and yet she felt nothing but hate for it, hate and guilt and trust.

She'd told Elsa about the forgetfulness, the voices, but not the faces or images of blood, of death. She knew she was slipping away, engrossing in her little world of fear and loneliness so much that she spent less and less time hanging out with the others.

Determination drove her on, made her work and practice so hard that she expected to die of weariness, but she didn't. It was oddly comforting, the workouts she did. She felt no weariness, and she drove herself to the point where her mind told her to stop, but her body felt nothing.

She used to wake up stiff but her body had gotten used to the workouts, and she no longer woke up with her bones grinding into her body. Elsa had told her once that she worked her body too hard, even the others and Valka had tried to make her stop, but she didn't listen.

She never accepted their help, didn't want it. She didn't know where the stubbornness had come from, but she knew it was always there. She was a Viking, but whenever she told herself that's he stiffened, and odd words rung in her head.

'_I'm not a Viking anymore, I'm a wolf. I am a wolf!'_

She would be confused by the words, knowing they were her thoughts but not knowing how'd she'd come to think them. She always thought back to the wolves, knowing they had something to do with it, but when she did she saw the red wolf. She saw two graves, one small and one big, and she felt pain, and anger, but why? She didn't know.

As the days turned to nights and the time to leave neared, she found herself happy, yet confused. For some reasons he couldn't wait to get into the woods, and when she thought why she always thought about the wolves. She was confused because of the happiness, why was she happy to see the wolves?

She thought of the place she knew she was going back to, the only name she could think up for it was home. She saw the lush green forest that littered the Island, and she remembered wandering through them. She saw Vikings and buildings that seemed familiar, but she couldn't think of when she'd been with the Vikings or in the buildings, but she knew she had.

She heard howls in her dreams to, some savage and some beautiful, but she didn't know where they came from. She saw a red wolf with its head thrown back and eyes closed. And then she saw other blood thirsty ones, letting out snarls as they bared their fangs and stared at her with death filled orbs.

She saw a boat go up in flames, saw the bow and arrow she owned covered in dust. She saw a peaceful clearing, an old willow with uprooted roots resting in the middle, apple trees outlining the area. She saw all kind of things, and yet she only remembered some.

Sometimes she saw random things, a door, small room, a box with a Norse Word engraved on it, a plate of food set before a door, a room with a hole in the roof, a floor covered in blood, an arrow, a piece of paper, but she always saw one thing that caught her attention.

It was that boy with the green eyes and crazy hair. His smile always plastered on his face as he was the only one who she could connect a voice to. He had a sweet and caring voice, young and innocent, yet strong and brave. Stubborn. She didn't know how but she just knew it, he was could often hear a snarky remark in her dreams, his voice being the one voicing the words, and she smiled.

She looked up at the sky once more, taking in the pink and blue that streaked across the sky the pink outlined in light orange as the blue mixed with purple. Another breeze crashed into her and she smiled, looking away and taking a deep breath as she slowly got up.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow morning she would leave, tomorrow would be her last day with Valka, tomorrow would be the day her and the others walked to the heart of the forest and said their goodbyes, tomorrow.

She was excited, and disappointed, and scared. It shocked her, being scared. It was an unnatural feeling to have inside of her, yet it was familiar. She'd been scared before, but she couldn't remember when, and she didn't want to.

She slowly and expertly made her way down the ice cliff, secretly crawling into the ice fortress by slipping into an almost invisible slit in the ice wall that led to the inside of the ice fortress.

The others wouldn't be awake for another hour, so instead of faking her workout, she decided she'd actually work out.

She traveled through the woods of the Nest and made her way to a big tree in the middle of the ice fortress, the tree her and Elsa use to hide in when working together in the partnered up practice runs. now she worked alone.

She fought them all, coming out on top and taking them down in a split second. She had a record for taking them all down, three against one. Ten ray dips, which stood for ten minutes. There was a small hole in the wall of the ice fortress, and every minute one of the sun's rays would dip through it, hence the ray dip.

She practiced hard, though why she didn't know. She felt a competitive spirit inside of her, something she'd suppressed for Thor knows how long. She worked hard, her muscles strengthening and her mind knowing no limits, she was as strong as ever. Her mind and body seemed to thrive for pain and exercise.

When she reached the tree she unclipped her axe from the side of her metal skull belt. When she wasn't in a practice run she wore her usually close. The close she'd wore when she'd left from whatever her home was called, had gotten a little small. Luckily she'd packed some other close, some wolf skins. She knew she'd worn them before and they'd always been slightly big, so they fit her just fine.

But she kept the skull belt, though she'd tucked away the headband and emblazoned shoulder pads. She loved them, and knew someone important gave them to her, but she kind of prefered life without them, though she made sure to keep them clean, a forgotten promise making her do so.

She drew back her hand and struck the tree, the blade deeply embedding into the tree. She walked over and yanked the axe from the and threw it again, the axe landing in the same spot. She slipped into a kind of routine.

She threw the axe and retrieved it for a while, then worked on her aim with her Saliva Slippers, at one point starting to throw actually daggers. She then aimed for different branches, pretending she was under attack as she hid behind bushes and threw Gronckle Bombs.

" Way to go, you killed the poor tree. "

Astrid swiveled around to face the owner of the voice, finding it to only be Elsa, she withdrew her arm that had been ready to throw a dagger at her, a real dagger.

_**What?**_

While she signed she went back to throwing daggers at the tree, switching back to her axe as she continued on, not once stopping to catch her breath.

Elsa said nothing, so she continued on. She started to kick and punch a couple branches, aware of the popping sounds that came from her hand and the blood that oozed from her knuckles, but she didn't stop. She punched fats and harder, letting an unknown anger and frustration be relieved through her jabs and kicks. She felt a slight ache in her arms, her knuckles now bleeding badly as her hands began to split.

" Hey, whoa stop, you're going to break your arm. "

She felt a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off, pounding harder and fats as she violently thwacked her leg against the tree in a kick. Her vision blurred and she gnashed her teeth together, feeling a blinding anger consume her as her vision was filled with red.

" Hey, I said stop! " The weight on her shoulder was once again there as she felt someone grib her shoulder, trying to pull her away, but she continued on. She felt herself slipping as her knuckle popped and her wrist jerked, a sickening snapping sound filling the air as a searing pain filled her right wrist, yet she continued to pound the tree.

" Stop! "

She whipped around as the weight on her shoulder tugged her away, her breaths heavy and her mind wild, thoughts scattered, she'd never lost it like that before, never. But she knew she'd been losing herself for a while, and her energy seemed to drain even more whens he used her powers.

She looked at the person who'd put her hand on her shoulder, and for a split second her mind went numb, her thoughts muddled and foggy. She didn't recognize the face, didn't recognize the voice of the stranger who looked at her with concerned and stubborn eyes. And because of that, she reacted the way she did.

She threw a punch at the stranger, the person before her swiftly blocking the blow. She shoved the person back, grabbing their right wrist with her right hand as she readied herself to hit the person's elbow with her left hand.

The girl yanked her arm away and ducked, slinking away as she looked at her with surprised and fear filled eyes, silently asking the question why.

Why? Why was she attacking the girl? Because she was a stranger, somebody she didn't know who's touched her and interrupted her training.

She crouched down to the ground and kicked at the girl, successfully hitting her in the face. The stranger did a backflip, holding her bleeding nose as she hissed in pain. She ran at her and turned her over, pinning her arms behind her as she held her down.

The girl bucked and threw her off, twisting around as she kicked her in the chest. Astrid took a few steps back, glaring at the girl and running at her as she faked to her left, then attacked on the girl's right side.

She rammed into the girl and shoved both of them against the tree, pushing her right arm against the back of the girl's neck as she jammed her knee into her back, making the girl hiss in pain. But the stranger got her left arm and rammed her elbow into her face, making her head jerk backwards as she shook her head.

The stranger came at her, as if wanting to end the fight, but she wasn't done yet.

As the girl came at her she side stepped, wrapping her arm around the girl's neck as she came flying by. The girl was jerked back, the air knocked out of her as she gasped for air, clawing at her arm.

She jabbed her knee into her back once again, making the girl squeeze her eyes shut and let out a whimper of pain.

" A-astrid...Astrid please...s-stop. " The voice came from the girl and Astrid stiffened, for the girl had said her name, if she knew her name, was he not a stranger?

It all came back to her, the memories. She remembered smiling with the girl, singing at her and having her sign back, them both talking down the others in a practice run, it all came back to her. The girl who had spoke was her sister, and she had her in a headlock.

She suddenly let go, eyes wide and breaths short gasps as she looked away, disgusted by herself. She started to shake, her body suddenly weak and her aching muscles finally tightening into knots.

She watched as the girl-Elsa, gulped in the air, wheezing and coughing as she held her neck in her right hand, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths. Elsa then looked up at her, the only emotion on her face was fear.

Astrid shook again, falling to the ground as she started to hyperventilate. She tried to catch her breath, but she felt as if she was in a cage, the walls moving in on her as the air seemed to stop coming to her lungs.

She gave out a few raspy breaths before her eyes rolled up inside if her head and she fell to the ground, unconscious

* * *

><p>She felt the tight grip on her neck loosen as it was soon gone. She took in deep breaths, gulping in the air greedily as she held her neck, making sure she could actually breathe.<p>

She looked up at Astrid, the blonde's face one of surprise, shock, and disgust, as if she was just realizing what she'd done. Then, to her horror, Astrid collapsed, falling unconscious.

Seconds later Merida, Anna, Rapunzel, and Valka came crashing through the treeline that outlined the clearing, eyes wide and out of breath as they looked from her to Astrid.

She looked up at them, still trying to catch her breath as she shook her head, speaking in a cracked an weak voice.

" It's getting worse. "

Valka walked up to her. " Are you ok dear, what happened? "

Elsa nodded and slowly got up, Valka catching her as she almost fell. She looked at the older woman and then at the others around her, her gaze then landing on the figure of Astrid.

" We need to get Astrid to the Healer's Cave, when she'd cared for I'll tell you. " Valka nodded and told the others to pick up the unconscious girl, they did as they were told.

When they got to the Healer's Cave Valka tried to tend to her first, but she was stubborn, and made her treat Astrid, complaining that the girl's injuries were worse than hers.

Valka treated Astrid. She cleaned the blood from Astrid's hands with water as she then wrapped it in dried seaweed, the plant covered in some crushed herbs so that it would heal wounds. She then treated Astrid's wrist, the bone broken in three places. She wrapped it and put a splint on her wrist, that too covered and wrapped so it would stay out.

Then she treated Elsa. She wiped away the blood from her nose, claiming that it wasn't broken but would be bruised. She then wrapped her bruised stomach in a thin hide, also putting herbs on her bruise before wrapping it.

When she was done she asked what happened, the others crowding around to also hear. She explained everything to them from the start, telling them of how she'd tried to keep Astrid from further harming her wrist, telling them about the blonde losing it and fighting her, and then finally ending by getting to the point to where they'd come.

They listened closely, worry being the expression seen on their faces when she'd described the confused look on Astrid's face when she turned to look at Elsa, as if she didn't know her.

" But why would she attack, you guys are like best friends? " Anna asked, confused as to why Astrid would try to harm her sister, and angry that that she succeeded in doing so.

At first Elsa didn't answer, but then she looked up, concern and worry filling her eyes.

" Valka. " The woman looked at her when her name was spoken, immediately becoming serious when she saw the look in the blonde's eyes and on her face. " I need to speak to you...alone. "

Valka cocked her head in confusion, but nodded, motioning to the others to get out.

" Wait why alone? What is it Elsa? " Anna asked, wondering why her older sister needed to talk to Valka, alone. She got no response, and she was slightly hurt by her sister's small rejection. But she walked out with the others.

Once the two were alone Valka looked at Elsa, asking what it was he wanted to talk about.

" A while ago, before we met you, Astrid told me her mind was feeling fuzzy, I told her she was just sleep deprived. Then a couple months after we found you, she told me she was beginning to forget thing, I shook it off like it was nothing and told her not to worry about it. "

Her words were getting slowly and slower as if she was trying not to cry. She looked at the ground, seemingly ashamed of herself. Valka beckoned for her to go on.

" And then she told me it was getting worse, only then did I start to worry. She kept on telling me she heard voices at night, voices that seemed so familiar but she didn't know who they belonged to. And then...and then she just started slipping away. "

Elsa was looking at the ground, shaking her head and looking ashamed as guilt showed, she mumbled a few words as she held her head in her hands.

" I should have known. "

* * *

><p>The words she spoke confused Valka, should have known what?<p>

" What dear, what should you have known? " She asked, leaning down to look the girl in the eyes, but the girl kept looking at the ground, blue eyes glazed over.

" Should have known she was forgetting. "

Valka was once again confused. Forgetting? She had no idea what power the girl's held, what they'd gone through. She couldn't control earth, nor ice, nor wind, nor fire, nor all four, she couldn't, but they could.

" Forgetting? Forgetting what Elsa? "

The girl looked up, tears brimming her eyes as she wiped them away, her orbs a dark blue as they held anger, yet slight sadness and pity, shame and guilt.

" Everything, forgetting everything. When I started using my powers my mind felt muddled and I got confused, but then It started to go away after a few years. She's just starting her forgetfulness, and it only gets worse from here. If she can't remember, or learn to use her powers only a little at a time, her memories are going to be gone within days. I almost forgot, but being in my home all the time helped me remember, especially with Anna around, but she's not home, she doesn't have family around, she's forgetting. "

Valka looked down at the young blonde in shock. Forget everything? But how was that possible?

She sighed and looked at the unconscious girl who was laying on the stone bed, the stone covered in furs to act as a cushion.

" But the why aren't the others forgetting? They started using their powers at the same time as Astrid, so shouldn't they be forgetting top? "

Elsa looked up at her, shrugging. " I started forgetting when I started using my powers, but when I did I was also at a time in my life where I was scared of my powers, scared and confused. Anna, Rapunzel, nor Merida look scared, just happy, maybe Astrid was scared I don't know. All I do know is that Astrid's forgetting, and fast. "

" Well then we'll have to teach her to use her powers little by little, we'll have to keep her remembering. "

Elsa looked up at her, slight hope in her eyes as she nodded.

* * *

><p>The three girls stood outside of the Healer's Cave, listening. They were shocked, Astrid? Forget everything? They looked at each other, for the first time their eyes filling with the emotion of sadness as one thought was inside each of their minds.<p>

'_She'll remember, she has to.'_

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><p>Astrid woke to the numb feeling of pain, but she ignored it and shot upward, not even slowing to catch her breath as she threw her legs over the side of the stone bed. She looked around, noticing she was in the Healer's Cave.<p>

She got up and slowly walked around, while not limping she was still going slow. She looked around to see no dragons in sight, but she heard a couple explosions.

A practice run then? Huh. She reached for her axe, ready to join when she found it wasn't clipped onto her belt. She mentally cursed when she remembered she'd left it impaled in her tree.

She slowly made her way to the tree, pulling out her axe when she reached her destination and clipping it back onto her belt. She heard a war cry and looked to see Elsa about to throw a Saliva Slipper, but stopped when she saw her.

" What are you doing? You're suppose to be in the Healer's Cave. "

Astrid was surprised Elsa still cared about her after she'd almost killed her but oh well, she wasn't going back to the Healer's Cave.

She took out a Saluva Slipper and looked at Elsa. Elsa knew there was nothing she could do to stop the girl, so she let her join the game.

" Doesn't it hurt? " Elsa asked when Astrid had thrown a Saliva Slipper at her. She gave the girl a questioning look.

" Your wrist, it's broken. " Elsa said, looking at her wrist.

Astrid looked at her wrist and realized it was wrapped, she flexed her fingers a couple of times and rolled her wrist, looking at Elsa and shaking her head.

She felt nothing, no pain, no fear, no emotion, she felt nothing. She had nothing, no family, no life, no meaning, no memory, she had nothing. She only knew one thing.

Tomorrow she would be leaving, tomorrow, she would go home.

And so she fought in the practice run, hunted down the others and fought as if she had no injuries and of course like always.

She won.


	17. Leaving

**A/N: Ok, my friend Ashlyn told me to do this, but she wants you guys to guess my age, I'll tell you the answer in the beginning of the next chapter. Oh, and Carly, another one of my good friends, says Harry Potter is better than HTTYD, what do you guys think?**

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><p>It was dark. It was morning. It was lonely. It was quiet. It was near. It was time.<p>

Time to leave the Nest, time to travel through the woods, time to go back, time to go home. Home, such an odd word in her mind, she hadn't called anything home for a while. Yes the Nest was kind of her home, but it wasn't her real one, she wanted her real one.

It sounded childish, like some baby saying they wanted their mommy, but she wasn't childish. She didn't have time to be childish, she was serious, dead serious.

She was just sitting inside the entrance, waiting for the others to get ready, waiting for them to walk up to her and tell her it was time to leave.

The last year had been great, or it would've been if she hadn't constantly forgotten about it. Elsa had told her about what her powers did when she used them too much, how it made her forget.

So she'd listened to Elsa, only because she trusted her with her life, and she felt guilty for fighting her when she was just trying to help.

Even since then which had been less than a day ago, she'd recovered some memories, and Elsa said she'd just remember more.

Her mind felt sharp and keen, and it was a nice change from the constant confusion and fuzzy pictures of forgotten memories.

A soft and quiet pair of footsteps neared her, but she stayed still, waiting for whoever it was to come up to her. Valka placed a hand on her shoulder, looking down on her and smiling a sad smile, it was all she could do to give a weak smile back.

" You scared dear? " Valka asked, sitting down next to her so she could look her in the eye, but Astrid looked everywhere but at Valka's face as she shook her head.

Valka looked at her, eyes sad as her smile had vanished. " Are you happy, happy to go home? "

Home, there was that word again. Honestly, she didn't know where home was anymore, all she knew was that she had to get back to the Island.

So in answer to Valka's question, she just shrugged, looking away and picking at the ice beneath her.

" Well then what are you worried about, and don't say nothing because Thor knows everyone's afraid of something. "

Astrid looked at the older woman, giving her the slightest smile as she scratched at the ice, carving Norse Words.

Scared, me? I'm the descendent of Fearless Fin Hofferson, nothing scares me.

Valka looked at the words curiously. " Fearless Fin Jefferson, who's that? "

Astrid froze. Who was Fearless Fin Hofferson? She didn't even recognize the name, it'd just slipped past her lips and came out. She cocked her head and shook it, giving a look that said she hadn't meant to say it.

Her memories would come back to her little by little, like how you drink water, taking little sips at a time. Sometimes she would remember things, but was still kind of fuzzy about it, kind of like the Fearless Fin Hofferson thing.

hi **( A/N: Ignore this, my friend snuck it in. )**

Hofferson, so he was related to her? She cocked her head, mulling over the thought as she continued to play with the ice under her, scratching over her words and absentmindedly drawing a picture.

She looked down at the picture, surprised to find a fast sketch of the boy she saw in her dreams. His face was young and perfect, his eyes holding so much detail she was shocked.

Next to her Valka stiffened a little as she could hear the older woman suck in a fast and hitched breath.

" Uh dear...w-who's that...uh who's that boy? "

Astrid listened to the stuttering woman's words and didn't answer, just tilted her head and squinted her eyes in concentration as she tried to answer the question herself, but she couldn't. She knew what his voice sound like and what he looked like, but she didn't know his name.

Without thinking she carved a few words into the ice, being just as surprised as Valka as she read them to herself.

_**A mistake.**_

But she knew her words spoke truth, he was a mistake. Reading the book was a mistake, as was leaving, meeting the wolves, meeting the Sisters of Four, meeting Valka, staying and training for a year, getting ready to go back. It was all a mistake, one big huge mistake.

Yet she regretted nothing, would never undo or redo anything. She'd done what she'd done, and there was no taking it back.

Valka cleared her throat and took out something from her pouch and handed it to Astrid, hastily explaining.

" It's for your scars, it's Bewilderbeast saliva. All dragon's saliva have healing properties, but his has some ice mixed in and I thought you could do something with that. They're some herbs mixed in and instructions on how to make some if there's no more dragon saliva. You should take it, if you want it. "

Astrid just looked at the small wooden jar that was filled with blue and see through liquids, a little bit of green mixed in because of the herbs. She knew she probably would need it. She'd remembered that the people on the Island thought she was still in her hut, in her room.

If she came back with scars they'd wonder what happened, and find out about her little year long journey. She'd have to hide her scars from everyone who wasn't Valka, Anna, Rapunzel, Merida, or Elsa, even the cute green eyed boy.

She took the small jar in her hand and nodded at Valka, the older woman smiling as she nodded back. Footsteps sounded behind them and she was aware of the others being ready.

It was time to go.

She got up and stood tall and straight, looking out at the rising sun before her. She felt the presence of the others standing behind her and she looked at them. Elsa was to her right and Anna to her right. Merida was to her left and Rapunzel to her left.

She looked at Valka and smiled, going up to her and lightly hugging her, letting her emotions show for the slightest of seconds as she then pulled away.

The others said their own goodbyes as they then stood beside her again, taking in deep breaths and for the first time in a year, stepping outside the Nest. That was it, they were leaving, gone.

Forever.

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><p>The face she drew shocked her, sent her mind running as she had just stared, wide eyes and dumbfounded. It looked so like him, her son. She'd asked what his name was, and she'd said the thing she would've least expected.<p>

_**A mistake.**_

She didn't talk about him after that, and she didn't ask. Sos he just gave her the herbs. She'd almost forgotten to give them to her, them being the reasons he'd gone to find er in the first place. They wouldn't last forever, but Astrid was smart,s he would find a way to make them last.

They'd left then, saying goodbye to her and smiling at her for the last time. She didn't know if they'd come back, but she did know one thing, they were destined for something big, and they couldn't do what they were meant to do inside her home.

The past year had been amazing, and she regretted letting them go, but they weren't her children, weren't her son. Her son, Hiccup.

The drawing could've been of anyone, just somebody who looked like her son. She hadn't seen Hiccup for six years, buts he knew his face, knew him like any mother would know their son. But the drawing looked so like him, and the scar on his chin she'd drawn, it had almost made her faint.

But she'd shaken her head, scolding herself for thinking that, it wasn't Hiccup, would never be. She felt guilty for leaving her only son and her husband, Stoick, but she was different, the kind of different Berk would never have accepted.

She sat there, watching the sun as she tried to find the small spots that had becoem her students, her family, buts she couldn't find them.

Cloudjumper nudged her and crooned, licking her cheek and wrapping a wing around her as she smiled and laughed, soon forgetting about the drawing of the boy in the ice as she focused on her dragons warmth, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

* * *

><p>Astrid stepped on the ice with Elsa, creating a strong and thick layer of ice over the water so they could walk across the lake.<p>

Anna stepped on behind Elsa with a smile on her face as Rapunzel soon followed, Pascal on her shoulder. Merida slowly led Angus on the ice, cooing to her shire horse as they slowly walked across the frozen lake.

When they reached the Island Astrid hesitated, slowly stepping on the grassland as she stood there for a moment, soaking it all in.

When Angus was on land he seemed to sigh in relief, ready to get going as he shook his head and let his long mane lash out, his tail flicking as he snorted. Merida laughed at petted his nose, whispering to him as he drooled on her shoulder.

They kept on walking from then on, Merida mounted on Angus as they looked around, seeing if they could remember their surroundings. She didn't know about them, but Astrid couldn't remember anything from the forest.

The sound of twigs snapping and leaves crunching under their feet hung in the air like fog, making the air unbreathable and suffocating her as she tried to calm her heart. She was excited but more than anything else, scared.

She didn't know why she was scared, and she was angry at herself that she was, but she had good reason to be. She was going back to a land she barely remembered, leaving the people she'd come to know for over the past year, leaving everything behind, but she had to.

Like everything else she'd forgotten something, something very important. Elsa, Anna, Merida, and Rapunzel had family, she didn't. They had a loving and caring family to get back to, people who had been missing them for over the past year, and it would be selfish to make them wait any longer.

They walked on for hours, only stopping to eat fruit or animals they'd hunt as Angis occasionally munching on some berries, his tail flicking behind him as he looked like he could care less about what was going to happen.

Her feet hurt and she was sure the others were aching, but they walked on, no one saying a word as every living creature around them seemed to turn silent. The sun fell and they entered a very small clearing, three trees in the middle of the small space.

The three trees looked noral, their branches overlapping each other to make a small shelter. She looked at the others and they seemed to nod at her, all silently agreeing that it was the place to rest for the night.

They each walked under the tree and sat down, Merida getting up to hunt for food as the others collected sticks and dug a small pit for a fire.

Merida came back with three foxes, skinning and gutting them as she cooked the meat for them. She just stared off into space the whole time, feeling like someone or something should've drinking the blood that had dripped from the split stomach of the foxes, but she just shook her head.

She took the meat the redhead gave her and nodded at Merida, sinking her teeth into the meet and smiling slightly as she ate something other than fish for the first time in a year.

She ate and waited until the others fell asleep, looking up at the sky and watching the stars as she took in a deep breath of night time air.

Her feet ached and her muscles were slightly sore, her body still healing from the beating she took when she'd fought Elsa, the girl telling her all about it after the practice run.

She'd probably run around Berk ten times in the time she'd walked to the tree she called her shelter then and there.

Yes, Berk. She remembered. It'd come to her when she'd been walking, her body working as her mind had been in deep thought, then it'd just come to her. She'd remembered a few other things to.

She remembered a few names. Gobber, Stoick, Fishlegs, Johann. Other random things that had come to mind was a room, empty and void of any life as it seemed to be made for her. A huge Hall on top of a hill, a hut next to it. A hut that looked like a Forge, a huge Arena with blood stained stone walls and a rack full of sharp weapons.

Voices, she'd also heard voices.

" _You will be a great Viking Astrid. " " Say something. " " Your dad's death...it's hard I know. And people might say they understand your pain when they really don't, but know...I know. You can always talk to me, don't try and hide it, I did. And eventually it just…"_

The voices haunted her and she was always shaking when they stopped, her mind wild and her breaths ragged. They scared her, the voices, but the last one brought a different kind of pain. Remembrance, guilt, many thing but one thing that stood out more than the others.

Love.

She loved the Viking boy with the freckle speckled cheeks and forest green eyes, she loved his smile and his soft voice, the way he looked at her in her dreams and the way his voice had been filled with so much care and concern when she'd heard his voice.

She took in another deep breath as she closed her eyes, resting her head against the tree as she closed her eyes, her axe in hand as she brushed her hand over the sharp blade, looking at her reflection.

Blue eyes shined back at her, the beauty in them dimming when the scars on her face showed, she wasn't beautiful, not anymore. She scowled at the fact that she cared about how she looked, her eyes narrowing as her teeth viable bared.

There, now her eyes and scars matched.

The look in her eyes held anger and hate, a buried and bruised pain as she stubbornly hid her emotions. Her scars added to her features, making her look like she was ready to kill as she flashed a wicked smile, fear overtaking her slightly when she saw her reflection.

She saw someone who wasn't her, someone lost and scared and weak and pathetic, someone who didn't know what to do as she hid behind the covers of her stoic face. She wasn't tough whens he but on the emotionless mask, she was weak.

She looked away and gazed at the shadows surrounded her, closing her eyes once the light rain started to fall. The branches kept her warm and dry, but her mind was affected by the wetness, and she blamed it on the rain as she felt something wet trail down her cheek.

Why she was crying she didn't know, she could only guess it was the emotions she'd been holding at bay her whole life, finally being released through a single stray tear that had managed to escape.

Despite the timing and the moment she smiled, smiled and fell asleep happy.

She woke before the others, catching breakfast for them all she built a small fire, relying on the smell of cooking meat to wake them, it did.

They waited for the food and when it was ready, ate it slowly, savoring the taste and the possible last meal they would have together.

They'd had a plan, make their way to the heart of the forest and sleep there for the night, then in the morning they would part ways. The only thing was that the forest was big so reaching the heart of it would take probably the rest of the day.

The other problem was simply the location of the heart of the forest, it was in a particular clearing, a clearing that she remembered seeing in her dream. She knew wolves lived in the clearing, and she could only hope they wouldn't be there when they reached the clearing.

She didn't know why she hoped they wouldn't be there, but she guessed it was fear, fear that the wolves would harm her and the others, fear that all the memories would come back. And it was then when that thought entered her mind she realized what she was truly afraid of, she was afraid of remembering.

For some reason remembering brought pain, brought guilt, brought suffering. It resurfaced countless emotions that she could live without, so yes, she was afraid.

She got up and looked at the others, motioning with her head to the direction of where they were heading yesterday as they nodded back in response, getting up and putting the fire out as they walked on.

They walked for hours more, not resting until they were certain their legs were going to fall out from under them.

Astrid walked past some bushes, pushing back a branch and letting it go, only to have it forcefully snap back and hit the person behind her, which just so happened to be Merida.

The girl let out a strangled cry and put her hand over her eyes, cursing in a language they'd all heard her speak, yet no one understood.

Elsa walked over to Merida, trying her best to help the girl while holding back a smile and stifling her laughter. Elsa gently brushed her hand over the red mark that overlapped Merida's right eye, the redhead pulled back and cursed some more.

But Astrid wasn't listening, wasn't aware of what was going on around her as she stepped through a tree line made up of apple trees.

There was a perfect and peaceful clearing before her, grass swaying to look like the ocean as the cloudless sky made a beautiful background. The same old willow she'd seen in her dreams stood in the middle of it all, uprooted roots and long lanky branches splaying across the air and ground.

" Astrid? Astrid? " She heard a muddled voice, her concentration and full focus aimed at the clearing as she lazily turned her head to look at the others as her eyes stayed glued to the scene in front of her.

The others walked up beside her and stopped, eyes wide and mouths open as they looked at the clearing, a smile of happiness at the scene in front of them showing on their lips as a sad look filled their eyes. They looked at the beautiful clearing and then for the first time their eyes landed on the animals that stood looking back at them.

Dire Wolves. But not any Wolves, _her _Dire Wolves.


	18. Goodbyes And Hellos

**A/N: I'm twelve and Harry Potter isn't better than HTTYD in my opinion.**

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><p>One month, I'd been one year since Alpha had left, just up and left one morning while they were all asleep. She never came back.<p>

They all wondered why she'd left, trying to think of something they'd done to make her leave, but coming up with nothing.

They realized the other humans had left her, and she was angry. Angry that Alpha had chose the humans over her own pack, angry that the ones who killed her son and mate had stole her sister, hadn't they talked enough from her already?

She became Alpha then, her daughter the future of the pack as her friend the nursing mother of the pack, became her Beta. But she'd been too busy with the pups, her role being left uncared for as she raised the pups.

But then the pups grew and learned how to hunt from their own parents, leaving her Beta to finally take her stand in the status line and become the second in command.

She did a good job, making sure the prey pile was stacked tall enough and keeping an eye on the wolves when she was busy. When her pup turned old enough to hunt she was able to leave the unrooted tree clearing, leading the hunts and spending more time with her pack.

She taught her pup to hunt, fight, howl, growl, but she found her pup catching on quickly. She was special her pup, her eyes the most odd colors and her hearing and smelling sharper than the other's.

Her pup was amazing at hunting and fighting, seeming to know when danger would happen or when prey was coming precious minutes before the others. She would make a good Alpha one day.

She taught her pup in the way of the Alpha, how to assert her dominance and how to keep any other wolf in their place. She also taught her how to keep her emotions in check, she'd learned with the human Alpha that to attack out of anger was to face death head on.

Her pup did well in her lessons, always shining brighter than the other pups but never rubbing it in their snouts, even when she could tells he really wanted to.

She ignored the other pups, even the female twin. But she seemed to take a fancy in the Omega pup, to cock her head at him and watch him from afar with curiosity. It was no doubt that one day they would be mates.

She didn't know why she'd chosen the Omega, but she respected her pup's decisions, she knew well enough to never mess with true love. They eventually cuddled, her pup and him howling at the moon one night to make their love official.

She was happy then, happy for her pup and for the no longer Omega, but she still felt pain. The Alpha human never left her thoughts, and she'd thought it'd haunt her for the rest of her life.

But then time passed like how the wind whips through the trees, one moment she was cuddling her pup and the next she was watching her sink her teeth into the throat of her first kill.

Time dragged on until she was aware it had been a year, a year since her Alpha sister had left and never returned.

It'd been a normal day, her leading her pack from a successful hunt as they then ate, eating the animal's juicy meat and gnawing on their bones to sharpen her teeth. But then she'd heard a rustle of the leaves, hear the footsteps of humans, smelled the scent of the two-legged, saw the sight of her Alpha sister staring right back at her.

* * *

><p>Surprised red eyes, orange ringing around the orbs glowing with shock, black flecks flaring with a forgotten anger, that's what she saw in the red Dire Wolf's eyes. She couldn't look away, and so she stared.<p>

She saw flashes of color, names running through her head and sounds ringing in her ears, all of them being owned by the wolf that was looking at her, boring holes in her very soul. She couldn't really remember ever seeing the wolf before, but for some reasons he knew not much had changed.

The red in her coat was slightly fading due to age, but still blazing like a roaring fire in the pits of Hel. Her eyes were still shining bright, but slightly dimmer than what she knew she should remember. She stood taller and straighter and she knew it was because she was Alpha.

The thought seemed to tug at her insides, the lost memory of ruling over the wolves she saw before her as the Alpha she stared at then and there had once been her Beta, her sister.

'_Bloodfire.'_ The thought was distant, musty and covered in the dust of time as her mind was like a mash of cobwebs, her mind getting ensnared in the clinky ropes as she reached for the thought, grasping it and holding on with all her strength.

The wolf's name was Bloodfire, and she'd given the wolf the name. She'd named the wolf, and she'd named some others.

Another wolf walked up beside Bloodfire, looking at her with shock and amazement as she then looked next to her, her eyes turning dark and a snalr playing on her chops.

Her eyes.

Her right eye was a dark blood red, blazing with fury as the orange and black seemed to glow. Her left eye was a dark yet light blue, frosted over in layer after layer of secrets and silent whispers as the single orb seemed to glow.

Her coat was a pitch sleek black that seemed to be made of the purest of shadows, blood red wrapping around her body and coating her in a blazing fur coat of death, the snalr on her maw enough to give her nightmares for the rest of her life.

'_The Unholy Offspring Of Darkness And Death Itself, huh, sounds fitting.'_ She couldn't help but let the thought enter her mind as she looked at the wolf, her eyes drifting to other wolves that stood behind her.

There was a pitch black wolf, carmel brown eyes holding nothing as he just glared and sneered, looking at them as he puffed his chest out, his dominance false. An old feeling stirred inside her and she couldn't help but let her top lip pull back, though she was able to keep herself from growling.

It surprised her, she hadn't growled or made any wolf noises in a year, stopping once a part of her had forgotten the wolves.

Next to the pitch black wolf stood a big and muscular wolf, muscles rippling under his fur coat as he was bigger than the others, thought very little of it fat. He had dark green eyes, the orbs looking at her as he cocked his head, his intimidating size clashing against his calm eyes.

Next to him was another gray wolf, silver and gray eyes with flecks of black staring at her with a sharp and keen vision. Her head filled with the image of the unmoving body of the person who was sailing to Valhalla, her father.

Next to him were two wolves, twins by the looks of it. They were fighting with each other, unaware or either ignoring the still pack. They nipped at each other and tackled the other, pinning the other and fighting more.

Off to the side stood another wolf, scars running down her body in twisted cruel ways, even visable through her thick and long fur coat. They looked like burn marks. Her ears rung with the sound of a howl of pain, fire filling her vision as she saw a wolf disappear into a jet of flames.

'_Ambereyes.'_ The memory was vague but it made a pint, she was remembering.

Standing next to the muty eye colored wolf was a brown wolf, and her mind reeled at what she saw, knowing that somehow the wolf wasn't the same as the last time she'd seen him.

His sleek coat glinting with the sun, the once light brown fur a dark brown as black was mixed in, black ringing his eyes instead of what she swore had been brown. She somehow knew he'd had dark brown fur, but that was replaced by a haunting black.

Muscles rippled under his coat, small but there. He was leaner, his claws sharper and his fangs probably longer. His forest green eyes bore holes in her soul as he seemed to be reading her mind, taking all her secrets and locking them in his mind, stealing her life as he stayed looking at her.

A flash filled her vision and she saw the freckle covered boy, his hair slightly matching the wolf's coat and his green eyes seemingly just mixing right in with the wolf's own orbs, if the boy had a form of him in a wolf, she'd be staring right at it.

Her thoughts were taken from her as she saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eyes, her gaze landing on the sight of Bloodfire slowly making her way to her, steps soft and slow as she cocked her head.

Bloodfire crooned and looked at her, bobbing her head up and down as she flicked her ear, asking her to do anything to make sure she was real. Old and forgotten instinct seemed to kick in.

She dropped down to the ground and bobbed her head up and down once slowly, crooning as making a slight grunting sound as she cocked her own head.

Bloodfire froze, looking at her in disbelief. She then ran up to her, jumping on her and licking her face as her tail lashed out dangerously, whines of happiness coming from her.

* * *

><p>She was shocked, happy, and angry. Shocked at what she was seeing, happy at the fact that her sister had come back, angry that she'd just come back and walked right up to them as if she never left. But then she saw it.<p>

Her usually sharp and keen eyes were fuzzy, glazed over but still focused. Her blazing glance would've been enough to send her running, but she found it wasn't ther. She could see it in her eyes, she was confused and shocked, realization flickering and fading.

It was then that she realized it, she'd forgotten, whether because of the folly of time of of because of an injury, she had forgotten. And so she'd silently accepted her back, though her eyes not being aware of those who stood behind her.

She'd bounded on her sister, and when she'd not attacked she took it as a good sign. But then she smelled their presence, and she was once against angry.

It was those who had killed her mate and son, standing there as if they'd done nothing, not tore her heart nor scarred her and her pup's mind.

When her sister saw the look she gave them she stood up, taking a stance before the other humans, though leaning towards the older blonde as she looked down on her and gave her a stern look.

It was an old feeling she'd felt then, a feeling of being Beta and not Alpha once more. But when becoming Alpha she'd grown a stubborn side to her, so instead of backing down she'd growled. And her sister growled back, looking surprised once she did.

It came to her then, again, the realization that her sister had forgotten. She probably didn't remember what the other humans had done, and she stopped growling, though she held her stance.

* * *

><p>It came back to her, all of it. The hollow feeling of blood bathing her came over her body and her mind filled with thoughts of pain and death. She could smell the rotting flesh, hear the crackling sound of Thor's skull splitting in two.<p>

She saw Ambereyes burning, her flesh red and raw as her fur was scorched from her body. She felt the fear, the anger, the pain, the hate. It all came back to her and she turned to look at the four girls she'd come to know, the four girls she'd met a year ago in the same clearing on horrible circumstances.

She saw Bloodfire watching her and she relaxed, giving the wolf a look before nodding at her and grunting, knowing what she was saying.

**Been a while, long time.**

Her words weren't perfect and her throat and mind was out of practice, but it all came together in a somewhat full sentence.

Bloodfire looked at her and growled, a grunt and huff mixed in as her ears flicked a little, her tail slightly swaying behind her.

**Why return now, why with them. Killed my mate, my son, you forget.**

Astrid was amazed she understand, and then Bloodfire's words finally caught up with her. She was shocked the wolf knew she had forgotten, but yet again, wolves were smart.

**Son Thor, mate Nightcloud, I remember.**

Bloodfire cocked her head, looking at her with interest as she walked closer, making sure to keep a distance from the others who just watched.

**Names for us, you make names yet never say them?**

Astrid looked at her and slightly smiled, grunting and huffing as she felt safe and happy with the wolf in front of her, knowing whatever she'd done with the wolf before to be able to trust it, had been strong enough to keep the trust alive.

**Never speak my tongue, speak your tongue, never words to tell you. Just for me, to help remember.**

Bloodfire looked a little confused, but then she continued the oddly enough, normal conversation.

**What names? For me, for Beta, for pack?**

**I only did some, either didn't name all, or forgot.**

Bloodfire beckoned for her to go on while she sat down, the pack following her lead and also sitting down. The pups she'd seen earlier and Amberyes sat down next to her, looking and waiting like the others.

**You, named you Bloodfire.**

Bloodfire looked interested as she gave a wolfish smile, the wolves next to her seemingly confirming the name as they glanced at her red coat. Astrid motioned to Ambereyes.

**Named you Ambereyes, not unique but fitting at time, fitting still.**

Ambereyes looked at her, the emotion in her eyes held back as she seemed to be mulling over the thought of trusting her more than the name. But her eyes shined for a second as she nodded, laying her head back down after the split second of emotion passed.

Astrid didn't blame her. She saw the burns on the wolf's body, knowing she'd left at a bad time, abandoning Ambereyes and the pack when they'd trusted her. She looked at the black pup next, the familiar look in his eyes making her remember his name.

**Named you Snotlout, fitting name when it reflects the owner.**

Snotlout just looked at her, obviously not knowing what the 'Snot' part of it meant as he beamed, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. She looked at the big wolf next, his dark green eyes making her remember immediately.

**Named you Fishlegs, nut insult, suits you from what I know.**

Fishlegs was shy and baffled, wagging his tail slightly as his eyes shined, not in the stupid idiotic was Snotlout's had, but in a truly happy way. She looked at teh still fighting twin wolves next, smiling as their names came to mind.

**Girl Ruff boy Tuff, names of strong fighters.**

She wanted to let the wolves know she was using sarcasm but she couldn't find a way how, she wasn't even sure wolves knew what sarcasm was. The twin wolves didn't even look at her, just kept running around and playing with each other. She then looked at the brown wolf.

**Named you Hiccup. Name of a boy where I came from, not as weak as the others thought him to be, a runt's name for a runt's name. In the end, both turned out strong.**

Hiccup looked at her and she realized what she'd said, she'd said she'd named him after Hiccup on Berk. She'd named all of them after someone on Berk!

**Me?**

She was snapped out of her thoughts as she heard the wolf grunt form into words. She looked at the wolf with different colored eyes and smiled.

**Gave you my name, Astrid.**

Astrid seemed to mull it over but she then smiled and nodded, flicking her tail in pleasure and happiness.

**Bloodfire mate was Nightcloud, pup was Thor.**

She finished off, knowing she'd mentioned them before but still adding them in. Bloodfire nodded and then she suddenly got up, motioning for her to follow as she led her to the old willow in the middle of the clearing.

Her eyes landed on a makeshift hut in the middle of the tree and she saw flashes, memories of cutting pieces of wood and of rain pelting them, all the sudden dry as a roof was above her head. She smiled at the sight of her tree hut.

She looked at Bloodfire and the wolf seemed to nod, moving aside so she could walk closer. She walked up to the tree and slowly climbed in, running her hands over the walls when she got in. She saw a little mass of shrubs and thought it to be a perfect hiding place for objects.

She saw a fuzzy picture, a fuzzy picture of her pulling out some satchels and a bow that had been hid behind the shrubs. Her hand tightened around the strap that was connected to the satchel, almost forgetting about them as she remembered the bow that she'd placed in the bigger bag.

She saw another fuzzy image, this one of apples stacked neatly in a pile on a smooth piece of branch. She looked to her right and saw what looked like to be a makeshift desk, the root desk.

She smiled when she heard claws scraping against wood, her eyes landing on the sight of Bloodfire trying to jump in but failing. She hopped down from the tree and boosted the red Dire Wolf up, climbing in after her.

She had a faint memory of doing that once before, but she was too happy and distracted to focus on the memory as she climbed back into her tree hut.

She breathed in the scent of wood as her hand trailed the wood, faint memories coming back to her as she smiled, looking at Bloodfire and for the first time in years, feeling truly happy.

They stayed there, for the night, the other four sleeping in her tree hut as she decided to sleep with the wolves. It was an old and odd feeling, being surrounded by living beings that weren't of her kind, but she slept well, and without voices or images.

When they woke they ate, eating until they were full and just spending time in the clearing that held so many dear memories, but they all knew they still had to leave, and it broke her heart

It was midday when she stood up, looking into the eyes of the others and knowing they had to leave then, to part ways for an amount of time no one knew.

They gathered around the old willow, looking at each other with sad eyes and false smiles of reassurance.

" What's happening, why's everyone so sad? " It was Anna who spoke up, her innocent face and curious big green eyes making Astrid melt. Elsa looked at the others before she bent down to Anna's height, looking her in the eye and speaking softly.

" Anna, we're going home, just the two of us, back to Arendelle. It's time for the others to go home to, it's time to say goodbye, we leave soon. "

Anna looked at her, shaking her head a little. " But we have to stick together, we can all go back to Arendelle, we can all live happily ever after. " A smile spread across her face and her eyes were glowing.

Astrid felt herself deflate as a sad and horrified look crossed over Elsa's face before disappearing.

She explained to little Anna then, explained why they couldn't all go back with them, explained that they all had to go their separate ways, explained it was time to say goodbye, to go home. Anna cried a little then, fighting her sister and shaking her head, not wanting to leave.

They looked at each other one last time, a mournful look on their faces as Merida, Rapunzel, Anna, and Elsa turned around, each walking in a different direction except for the two sisters who stuck together, Anna's cries muffled by Elsa's death.

Pascal was perched on Rapunzel's shoulder, looking ahead as he tried to comfort the young girl, her weak smile the only response. Angus trotted next to Merida, nuding her and drooling over her shoulder to try and comfort her also, but she didn't even look at him.

The wolves just watched, sensing the fear and sadness in the air, the smell of tears. They surrounded them in a circle, knowing that the blonde not walking away would soon leave to, again.

But words rung through the air, the voice of the words belonging to Elsa as she made sure to speak loud enough so everyone could hear her.

" When we meet we meet on this Island, this clearing! " And then her voice drifted away, and Astrid knew.

They were gone.

* * *

><p>It took a week, but Merida finally got back to her Island, her father and mother smothering her in love as they kept her close, never fully trusting her to be by herself like they once had.<p>

Her birthday had been a week later, her father giving her a bow as he tried to teach her, her mum scolding him for giving the future Queen a weapon.

Shwe found the wisps that day, following them into the woods as suddenly a bear attacked, her father fighting it off. He lost a leg that day, almost dying with the blood loss but pulling through.

A few good years had passed since then, and Merida was a full grown lady, well a full grown lady of eighteen but still considered old enough to be given more lessons than she could handle.

She ventured into the woods often, but she never crossed the border, the memories haunting her as she always headed back when reaching that point.

The book lay on her desk, collecting dust as she looked at it everyday, waiting for something to tell her that it was time to meet up with the others again, but it never did, not until the day after she'd turned her mother into a bear.

It started to glow.

* * *

><p>It took Rapunzel about three days to get back to her home, stumbling upon her frantic mother while getting lost in the woods one day. Her mother had rushed her home like that, but was soon speaking to her in a hushed and reassuring tone.<p>

But there was something off about her words, about the way she ran her hand over her hair as if holding the golden locks more precious than her own daughter. But she shook it off, going to bed as soon as her head touched the pillow.

Her mother sealed the entrance to the secret stairway after that, watching and leaving less and less to watch over her, always glancing at her to make sure she was still there, but Rapunzel could swear her mother looked at her hair and not really at her.

She grew after that, turning eighteen as she watched the lanterns light up the sky, the dim light from them illuminating the black sleek book that rested on the rim of the window she was leaning on.

She found out the truth after that, meeting her true love Eugene as she found she was the Princess, also realizing at that moment that Elsa and Anna were her cousins. She met with them a few times, them all realizing that Merida was also related to them, though Elsa already knew, not being to happy about it either.

She continued watching the book after that, always making sure it was still there. Then one day it started to glow. And she knew.

It was time to go back.

* * *

><p>It took them two weeks to return to Arendell, the time being held out because of a certain little redhead that always complained about her feet hurting.<p>

When they walked up to the castle the Guards rushed them in, setting them near the fireplace as the maids draped blankets over them. Their parents came running in, hugging them tight and crying a little, they also cried.

A couple days after that Anna woke her up, asking if she wanted to build a snowman. She'd smiled and they'd run down to the ball room, creating snow mounds for Anna to jump off of. She didn't catch her.

She hit her head by accident, screaming out to her parents, her worst fear coming true. They took them to the Trolls, the male Troll healing Anna and taking away her memories of magic, even her own.

She closed herself off after that, scared she'd harm her sister if she saw her again. Years passed, the knocks on the door from her sister lessened, her powers began to get out of control again and she forgot how to control them, her heart breaking when her parents died.

She'd turned eighteen, Anna sixteen as she then lost control, almost hurting her sister, and she ran. She ran to the North Mountains and built herself a ice castle, though knowing it was her own home built prison.

Anna tried to get her to come back, but only proceeded in getting herself hurt once more, the blow landing in her heart and not her head. She'd saved her, love killing her and love saving her, an act of true love.

The words of the book rung through her head. _**Love will thaw. **_She finally understood.

Two years passed since then, Anna eighteen and happily dating Kristoff as she ruled as Arendelle's beloved Queen, her age being twenty. Then one day when her and her sister were talking in her room, the black book began to glow.

They'd rushed to Anna's room and looked at the books, being amazed when the books glowed brighter when they were closer to each other. They looked up at each other, realizing that after all those years.

It was finally time.


	19. Bravery

She'd stayed with the wolves for one more night, trying to hide the sadness of losing her friends with the happiness of being around her old ones, but it only made her goodbyes worse.

She stood before Bloodfire, the wolf looking at her with sad eyes as she leaned down, cupping the Dire Wolf's face in her hands as she petted her snout.

When she started to pull her hand away Bloodfire whined and pushed her snout back into her pal, licking it as she looked at her with sad eyes, ears drooped in defeat as she was practically begging her to stay.

She bit her lip and closed her eyes, making sure no tears would spill as she pulled away. A pain went through her and she was blind for a second, watching as younger her was just inches away from petting a dragon, a look crossing over her face when the dragon pulled away.

She stood up and shook the image from her mind, tucking it in the back of her mind to think of later. She'd gotten used to it, the images crossing her mind, the emotions that came at random times, she'd gotten used to it, and for some reason she hated herself for it.

Bloodfire looked at her, the pack behind her having the same expression on their faces. She turned around then, every step like a dagger stabbing her in the heart as she walked farther and farther away, the tears in her eyes no longer being able to be held back.

She walked with her eyes closed for the first few miles, letting the sounds around her guide her and trusting her instinct to keep her from anywhere dangerous, which resulted in her walking into a few trees but whatever.

It was only when she saw the light on her eyelids dim that she opened, shading her face with her hand at the new light that shined down on her. It was still daytime, though purple and pink dimmed the blue and mixed with the slight black.

She sat down, not caring that she'd sat right in a mud puddle as she buried her face in her hands, letting dry tears stream down her face as she fell asleep like that, pathetic, weak, broken, crying, lost.

When she awoke it was to a squirrel crawling up her stomach, and despite how cute the rodent was, she was hungry. She stayed still and lept at it, grabbing its face so it couldn't bite her as she swiftly snapped its neck, killing it instantly.

She cooked the squirrel meat, not tasting anything as her mind drifted off elsewhere, lost in the thick fog of her messed up mind.

When she was done eating she got up, continuing to walk as she looked at the ground, only looking up when she felt herself getting sick. The trees around her were blurs of green and brown, the dirt under her nothing but brown, black, and green.

she stopped sometimes, looking around to see if she could find anything familiar. A while back she'd passed a trunk of a tree, marks scarring it to look as if an axe had been used to cut it down.

She'd seen then an image of herself cutting it down, sweat dripping down from her face as the wolves laid in a circle around her, all laying down but all of them on alert for any danger. She'd stopped at the spot, running her hand over the scars as she then continued walking on, the image of her hacking at the tree still playing in her mind.

She walked up to a tree, reaching for a fruit as her stomach had been telling her it was hungry for a while. An image passed through her mind, an image of herself biting into the same looking fruit and spitting it out, a look of disgust written across her face. She pulled away, going to eat some berries instead of the fruit.

It angered her a little, knowing that she had lost memories. Whenever she saw an image in her mind, or a voice rung in her head, she was angered. She was reminded of something that she felt she'd never even experienced. It was as if some part of her knew herself better than...well...herself.

She didn't sleep as the moon rose, just walked on her numb legs, her numb arms swinging at her sides, her numb mind the only thing keeping her from going insane. She was numb, all over, forever.

Her eyelids lazily closed and then snapped open, her body losing its balance as she landed on her face, a throbbing pain in gut because of what she'd just knocked into.

She got up and glared at what had been in her path, the snarl on her lips disappearing once her eyes landed on a small rowboat. Flashes of blue, voices of the wind and sounds of water lapping at the side of the rowboat, the scent and taste of the sea filling the air.

She walked up to the boat and ran her hand over it, feeling moss and wet leaves stick to her hand. She wiped it away with water, cleaning the small rowboat. When she was done she walked into it, using her satchels as a pillow as she laid down, finally allowing herself to go to sleep for the night.

The sun beat her with its rays of light, awakening her and making her sit up, the boat underneath her rocked as the water around her rippled. Wait...what?!

She looked around herself, finding herself surrounded by water as no land was in sight. She looked around frantically, but calmed when some hidden feeling inside her reassured her she was going to be ok.

She laid back down, letting the rocking of the boat lull her to sleep as the boat drifted on, her mind going blank as all she saw was darkness.

* * *

><p><em>She saw Berk in the distance, huge Viking carved stones surrounding it as if they protected the Island from any harm.<em>

_It was beautiful, the dark water swaying a little as the night sky was pitch black, the moon shining down on the Island and making the water glisten. Then there was a flash of color, no no color, fire._

_She saw them then, dragons. They were spewing fire on the Island, raining it down on the Vikings as screams and roars rung through the air, distant howl filling the little silence that was still there._

_All the sudden she saw a room, a hole in the roof and a dragon and a girl in the room, each scared and each looking ready to bolt. She realized the girl was her, and the dragon was the dragon that killed her father._

_She'd seen the scene in her dreams so many times, but it was as if she could see it clearer then, more vivid in not just showing her what happened, but her feelings during that night as well._

_She reached out to the dragon, feeling the fear her younger self felt as the dragon pulled back, taking a defensive posture. She reached out again and she watched in awe as the dragon froze in place, eventually purring._

_She felt happiness that wasn't actually her's, but her younger self's. She was shocked and surprised, not entirely believing what she was seeing. Her dad burst through the door, and she stiffened._

_He looked so different from her dreams. Yes he was dirty and had grime in his beard and coating his body, but his eyes weren't glazed over, there wasn't a lot of blood on him, and he was alive._

_She watched as her dad and the dragon fought, the dragon about to kill her dad as she rushed in, and then everything went blank. She saw an arrow in her hand, and she let it fly, landing on a boat and setting it aflame._

_She watched her life flash before her eyes through a fresh set of eyes, watched as she first bonded with bloodfire, which consisted of them biting each other, not what she'd expected by whatever._

_Then all went black once more, and she finally understood, finally remembered. She remembered every detail of her forgotten life and she felt whole again, the missing part of her restored._

* * *

><p>She woke with a start, the boat bumping into something as she rubbed her head. It hadn't all been a dream, she remembered. A smile spread across her face as she finally understood what had happened to her before she'd met the others.<p>

She took a deep breath and looked around, finding that the boat had bumped into the beach of an Island, but not just any Island. Home.

She put on her satchels and made sure she had everything before getting off the boat shakily. She looked at the small rowboat, it had done so much for her, but she had no need for it now. She pushed it away with her foot, watching as it drifted away until she lost sight of it.

When she looked up at the sky she realized it was night time, the dark sky draping her in a cloth of shadows as she disappeared into the forest,, pure instinct and memory guiding her through the maze of trees and bushes.

She walked on, almost falling into a ditch as she slipped on a loose rock, catching her footing before she did. But when she looked up she found what she'd almost fallen into wasn't a ditch, but a cove.

It's fairly big, moss and leaves scattered over the stone walls in a beautiful and peaceful way. A huge tree grew from the wall of the cove, its uprooted roots making a small makeshift shelter under it. A small pond was kind of in the middle of the cove, slightly looping to look like half a circle.

A few other trees grew next to the cove on the higher ground, the roots coming down and bathing the wall in green and brown. Rocks were spread everywhere, ranging from all different kinds of sizes, it was truly beautiful.

She looked at it for a while longer before moving on, memorizing the area around her so she could find her way back, maybe get to see the cove a little bit better.

The moon looked down on her and she drew energy from it. Ice was like water's sister, and the moon gave water power, so she could draw slight power from the moon. She looked up at the sky, no stars but a full moon.

The leafs under her made no sound and she stepped on no twigs, it was weird, in the other forest the ground was always littered with twigs and leaves, but not Berk's forest.

The sky was painted in pink and blue when she finally made it to the edge of the forest, her memory was back yes but it'd still been a while since she'd walked through the woods and she got lost a couple of times.

She looked at the Village, peaceful and empty, still to early for those who lived in it to be up and about. There we many huts, each one looking newly built and the roads scorched with burn marks, even slight traces of blood. It was then that she smelled it.

Death. She smelled death and blood and ash, she smelled a battle and many more to come staining the Village. But she also smelled the Viking stench, it had been so long since she'd been in contact with another Viking, save Valka but still, she'd forgotten how badly they'd smelled.

She shook her head and slunk back into the shadows, suddenly regretting coming back. She took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes, Hoffersons always finished a mission, even if it brought them to their bitter end.

She stopped her thoughts and smiled. She was a Hofferson, she was back.

She walked around the Village while still hiding in the forest, stopping behind a hut that she knew was hers. She made sure no one was around and walked towards it, climbing up the walls and landing inside through the window.

She looked around, standing up slowly as she looked around. She remembered what it looked like before she'd left, it looked different.

It was covered in dust, everything. The blankets on her bed were still neat but they were a little wrinkled, the floor being a little slippery due to the dust that acted as a second floor. The room smelled slightly dirty, musty and unclean as it was a little hard to see. But other than that it looked exactly the same.

She slowly walked over to her bed and threw her satchels on it, flopping onto her bed and closing her eyes. It'd been a long time since she'd ever laid on a bed, or anything soft for that matter. She closed her eyes and opened them, knowing that then was not the time to rest.

She got up and went to the small restroom, surprised to find it still worked. She cleaned herself up, taking a cold bath by using a small tunnel that led well water to her room. She cleaned herself up and washed her clothes, washing the grime off of her and making herself look clean.

When she was done her clothes were damp but wearable. he went to room and emptied her satchel, placing the book on her desk. She shook her blankets and tried to clean up the dust, being tired of having her lungs clogged every two seconds.

When she was done she gently grabbed her mum's bow and hung it up on the wall, hanging up the arrow filled quiver next to it. She ran her hand over the bow, pulling away when she knew she'd been standing there too long.

She walked around, almost placing her father's axe under her pillow but stopping herself, clipping it back onto her belt as she just sat on her bed, waiting. She scuffed her boot against the floor and drew a small picture in the dust, surprised when her picture turned into the painfully clear image of the dragon that killed her father.

She'd remembered the common dragon types and their names. Terrible Terror, Hideous Zippleback, Gronckle, Monstrous Nightmare, the Deadly Nadder. The Deadly Nadder. It was the dragon she was drawing, the murderer, the only creature she'd trusted with all her heart.

She shook her head, skimming her foot over the picture as she looked away. What had surprised her so much was the picture.

It was of her and the Deadly Nadder standing next to each other, the dragon with its eyes rolled up in its head in pleasure as she was scratching its chin, a smile on her face as they both look happy.

The joy in the picture was almost sickening, the way that it looked perfect in world that was clearly anything but, if anything, the world she was on was as twisted as the picture she'd drawn. She found herself scowling, but she knew it wasn't real. The trust she'd given the dragon, she could never take it back, didn't want to.

She laid on her bed once more, her hands clasped together in a habit Else had gotten her into as they rested on her stomach, she fell asleep.

She woke up to a knock on her door, the familiarity of the pattern making her breath hitch. And then came his voice.

" Hey, just talking to myself again like any crazy messed up person would. " She heard a sigh and the sound of him leaning against the door. " It's been a year, guess I just thought you'd be back by now, honestly, I hope you're standing on the other side of this door right now, but you're not. Like all the other times you're not. "

She heard him set down something and sit down himself, the sound of him eating reaching her ears. His next words were slightly muffled by the food in his mouth.

" Everyday I come here, eat the food like you told me to, waiting to get the chance to answer your question, the only problem? " She heard him swallow.

Question? Oh yes, she remembered now. She recalled the words he'd written in the letter to himself when she'd found the skirts and armor. She listened as she waited for him to continue.

" You're never here. " His voice was weak and helpless as she felt her heart swell with guilt. For a year he'd come to her room and talked to nothing but air, well not anymore, she was there, she was listening.

She listened to him get up and walk away, her front door shutting silently as she just sat back on her bed, her eyes narrowing in determination.

She was done hiding, done running, it was time. She got up and reached for the door handle but stopped, her scars. They'd notice her scars and know something was up, her cover would be blown.

She had the power to control the elements of Earth, Ice, Fire, and Air, if the Vikings of Berk found out they'd ship her away, that wasn't what she wanted, she'd just gotten back. Then she remembered, remembered the ice gauze thing Valka had given her.

She walked over to her satchel and dug through it, her hand wrapping around the small wooden jar. She opened it up and dipped two of her fingers into it.

The gauze was cold and nipped at her with the sharp fangs of ice, but it didn't bother her. She put it over the scars on her face and felt her scars prickle, the ice chilling her.

She called on her powers and thickened the ice, the gauze being see through and the tightened ice hiding her scars. The frozen ice was like looking at water, you couldn't see through it clearly. The ice made her scars seem invincible, but if you looked really closely you could see them.

She put the jar on her desk and walked over to the door, removing her braid when she remembered it was there. She let her loose hair fall and cover her face, feeling comfort at the thought of not being so exposed.

She opened the door and walked out, slowly climbing down the stairs as her hand brushed the railing. She looked around the hut, fining it to be different from her room.

There was no dust, it was spotless. The fire pit had been cleaned out and there was fresh wood stacked against the wall. She walked over to her mum's small room and opened the door. The small room was a little clean but still messy. Someone had known the room was special, someone who she guessed was Hiccup.

She closed the door to the room and walked to the main door of the hut, taking deep breaths and fighting to reach up and pull the handle. Her hand brushed over the handle and she pulled back, impossible fear filling her mind.

Could she really go back? Walk out into the Village like nothing happened? She heard the others outside, knew the Village was awake and working. She closed her eyes and let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

She reached for the door again but couldn't do it, took a fast step back. Maybe she just didn't feel presentable? She rushed over to a shield in the room and looked at the metal orb in the middle, looking at herself.

She looked fine and she knew the reason she wasn't opening the door wasn't because of her appearance, but fear. She was afraid and for the first time ever, she wasn't ashamed of it. Because this time, she had a reason to be afraid.

She'd never met her mum and her father died right before her eyes when she was young, scarring her for life. She'd ran away from the only home she'd ever known and was thrust into the world of wolves, then she witnessed two more deaths and more injuries, than she was once again thrust from her world into the unknown, blind to everything around her. And now she was returning to what she had run away from, it was all so messed up.

Astrid flexed her hands and put the shield down, taking another deep breath as she breathed in the old smell of her hut. Musty yet fresh and new, it smelled clean and neat due to the fact that she was one of the few Vikings who didn't really like to wear grime and dirt as air freshener.

The shield bumped against the wall softly as she looked at the design, two dragons flying in a circle and eating each others tail, two daggers making an X in the middle. She looked away and stood up, her legs so numb she had to rest her body against the wall for a few minutes.

The moment she walked out that door her life would change. She would be thrown into the world of a Viking, any thoughts of her ever returning to her room and locking herself in would be thought of as weak, she wasn't weak.

She would have to train with the others, she would have to eat in the Great Hall, she would have to fight in Dragon Raids, she would have to once again claw her way up to the position of best warrior on Berk. She had a lot to live up to, big footprints her father had left on the world to fill.

She slowly walked towards the door and hesitantly out her ear against it, leaning on the door and plugging her other ear so she could hear. She heard muffled voices, she heard the sound of people walking, she heard many things.

She could hear pounding and the sound of flames and she knew the Forge was open, the man who manned the Forge she remembered to be Gobber.

She heard distant but oud hollers and cheers, the roaring sound of laughing men making her aware that some Vikings were celebrating in the Great Hall for whatever reason.

She could hear Vikings talking to each other and loud footsteps, but that's all she heard. Then there was the lack of what she heard that made her listen a little harder.

Whenever a Viking neared her hut their footsteps either became light or stopped altogether, they were waiting for her to come out, expecting her to. But the footsteps were loud once more and they passed, thinking she wouldn't come out.

She pulled away and rested her head against the wooden door, trusting the thick and solid wood to keep her from falling. She relaxed her muscles, knowing she couldn't go and walk out to the center of the Village looking at tense a Viking facing a dragon for the first time ever.

She slowly breathed in and out until all her muscles were relaxed, the knots in her body a little looser but still there. She felt sick, her stomach turning and twisting as her body threatened to empty itself of her last meal, which come to think about it, had been a few days ago.

Maybe she should eat and then go out? No, she shook her head, that was a coward's excuse. She would go out and if she was hungry she'd head to the Great Hall to get a meal.

She reached out towards the handle again and successfully grasped it, but didn't pull. She made sure her scars were hidden, the cuts and still visible bruises from her last practice run hidden by her sleeves and leggings.

She smoothed down her hair and licked her lips, not knowing why she was acting like she was but knowing she was acting like she was. Huh, a little confusing but whatever.

She looked at the handle and tightened her grip, flexing her other hand that was at her side. She made her face emotionless, feeling nothing as her mind wasn't exactly blank, but what she liked to think of as black as the night sky, no thoughts meaning no stars to shine down on her.

She calmed her breathing and mentally dulled her eyes, but letting them shine with an emotion even she didn't know nor had ever experienced.

Taking one last breath she yanked the door open and walked out, the world around her stopping as she did so.

Everyone stopped walking, looking at her with wide eyes and jaws gone slack, but she wasn't looking at them. She looked into the nothingness of everything around her, blocking out the sounds and forcing her legs to move.

She could feel the surprise and shock that hung in the air like a fog, an almost invisible barrier that she thought would keep her from walking.

Astrid didn't know where she was going but she was aware she was hungry, so she headed to the Great Hall. She forced her legs to walk up the stairs, her face a mask and her eyes a barrier. She pushed the doors open and strutted in, not caring about the looks as she grabbed a plate at one of the tables and sat at the farthest table, away from all the other Vikings.

It just so happened that Hiccup was sitting at that exact same table, and she didn't notice him until he gave a squeak of surprise. She looked over at him and tilted her head, almost smiling at his expression but succeeding in keeping her face stoic.

He was looking at her, coppery and slightly rusty red hair matching with his freckle stained face as his jaws was practically touching the ground, his slightly crooked teeth showing, well they weren't really crooked but they had a small gap.

His forest green orbs almost looked like a deadly fire, something dangerous sparkling in his eyes even though she could tell he didn't know it was there. He looked at her, and his eyes rolled up inside his head as his face landed on his empty plate.

Great, her best friend and crush, unconscious at the sight of her. Exactly the reaction she'd been hoping for. Thank Odin a second later he began to stir.

His eyelids slowly opened and then snapped open when they saw her, a glorious smile crossing over his face as he scooted a little closer, trying to speak but no words coming from his mouth. He looked at her with an emotion that she was not accustomed to, but she soon found out what it was.

A mix of awe and admiration shined in his orbs, and she did not know why.

But then she understood, what she'd been through, it was awe inspiring and admirable. She'd done so many things that no Viking would've ever dared, she wasn't just awe inspiring, she was brave. She was brave for the risks she'd taken, the pain she'd suffered, everything she'd gone through had relied on her bravery.

And then she finally saw the big picture.

Hiccup then looked at her chin, his smile faltered as he looked at her with his eyes squinted and his head tilted. She knew he'd seen the scars. He looked up at her, understanding shining in his eyes as his smile returned. She gave a weak smile back as her scars prickled at the feeling of someone looking at them.

Because for above all, bravery costs the most.


	20. The End

**A/N: I'm sorry to tell you this but this is the end of the story. To be honest I hadn't expected to get this far in my story, but now I have no doubt my more descriptive and long stories will reach 100,000 words. Here's some things for you guys that I forgot to post for the first chapter.**

**My SeriesHTTYD 1-Prophecy Of Magic: Trailer**

She stood there, frozen in that one spot as she didn't even make an attempt to wipe away the green and red blood than ran down her face and smeared her clothes. The smell of rotting flesh made its way to her nose and she tried to look away in disgust, but she couldn't.

Her father's body lay before her, gashes running down his body as unlike the baby Deadly Nadder next to her, he wasn't breathing.

She tightened the grip on her father's axe, taking a deep breath and getting ready to deliver the final blow to the baby dragon's neck.

* * *

><p>It'd been a year since she'd locked herself in her room after her father's death, not stepping outside her hut and not muttering a single word since.<p>

* * *

><p>The book had a sleek black cover, the design of a unknown dragon's scales giving the book texture. On the top right corner of the book was a light blue Chinese Dragon, its eyes a dark blue as it sat on its haunches with its tail over its paws, its mouth open with the Norse symbol inside. It read <em>Ice.<em>

On the top left corner of the book was another Chinese Dragon, this one a blood red. It's eyes were ablaze with hate and the hunger for murder as they flickered a sudden forest green. Its claws were bathed in blood and drool dripped from its chin, its back arched as its mouth was open and caught in a silent snarl. Inside its jaws it held the Norse word that read _Fire._

On the bottom left corner of the book was a pure gold Chinese Dragon, it was laying down as it rested its large head on its paws, its mouth held in more of a yawn than a snarl or growl. Its gold eyes turned a light green, then a second later became once again a solid gold. Inside its jaws it held the Norse word that read _Air._

On the bottom right corner of the cover was another Chinese Dragon, this one a deep shade of forest green. It was caught in the action of walking towards the middle part of the lower half of the book, its head turned to look at her. The dragon's eyes turned a shade of light transparent blue that mixed with the green, then it once again turned all green. Its mouth was open as if it was going to snap at something, but instead in its jaws it held the Norse symbol for _Earth._

* * *

><p>The wolves surrounded her, a blood red one stepping out of the shadows as it snarled,as he snarled back.<p>

She fought the wolves, pinning her under her and shoving her face next to her muzzle, not knowing at that moment she'd accidentally stripped the Alpha of her title.

* * *

><p>Elsa, Anna, Merida, and Rapunzel all looked at her as she did fast and quick movements with her hands, speaking to them in a language that only her and Elsa understood.<p>

Elsa smiled at her and jerked her own wrist, moving her finger and making words as Astrid and her talked back and forth.

* * *

><p>Astrid's mind was fuzzy, voices ringing in her ears as she shook her head, a scream held in the back of her throat as she clutched her head, her mind going blank as for a split second, everything around her looked unfamiliar.<p>

Where was she?

* * *

><p>In front of Anna stood a Monstrous Nightmare. In front of Merida stood a Deadly Nadder. In front of Rapunzel stood a Grockle. In front of Elsa sat the Bewilderbeast. And she stood, watching.<p>

They would learn how to control their elements. Anna Fire, Merida Air, Rapunzel Earth, Elsa Ice, and her. All of them.

* * *

><p>They trained hard, each task getting harder everyday. Standing before them watching their progress was the Dragon whisperer, the Teacher.<p>

The Dragon Whisper nodded at Elsa, Anna, Rapunzel, and Merida in praise as she then looked at her.

" Good job.. " The Dragon whisperer spoke in a soft voice, taking off her masks to reveal the face of a woman she'd known she'd seen somewhere, but couldn't remember. " Astrid. "

**Next Stories Name: My SeriesHTTYD 2-Blind Trust**

**My SeriesHTTYD 2-Blind Trust Trailer:**

" I'm Hiccup. " A skinny boy dressed in animal hides smiled at the girl in front of him. His crazy copper and slightly rusty red hair stuck out everywhere in a way that kinda made him look cute.

" And _this_- " He spread his arms out wide to emphasize everywhere.

Past the thick barrier of mist came an island. Stone statues carefully carved to look like the first Vikings who sailed across the Seven Seas were posed around the island, as if protecting it from the wrath of the Gods.

Huts littered the island as Vikings walked around, figuring out what to do for the day.

"-Is Berk. " He finished.

" It's not the prettiest slab of rock. " Hiccup sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. " But it has lush green forests, one of the best fishing docks, a nice sight for when the sun sets, and the night time is the most amazing part.-"

Dragons attacked the island as flames lit up the night sky. Sheeps were swept off their feet as the beasts fought viciously for food. Bloody Vikings and dead Dragons were everywhere, blood staining the ground. A Gronckle growled and cocked its head as a Viking charged at it, hammer raised above his head.

" You know, when there aren't any raids. " The girl was unamused. " So...what's your name? " He asked.

" Heather. " Was her answer.

" Where'd you come from? "

She rubbed the bump on her head. " I... "

Flashes of light blinded her vision as flickering images flooded her mind. Waves crashed down on a boat as the waves tossed it around like a piece of paper drifting through a simple breeze. Another wave crashed down on her, she gasped for breath as she felt the chilling ice cold water slowly freeze her from the inside out. One last wave swamped her as she felt her head hit against something hard. Then...all went black.

" I...don't remember. "

Hiccup shoved a branch out of his way, only to have it snap back and hit him in the face. His eyes grew wide in realization, excitement surged through his body. His head popped up behind the huge rock he had been hiding behind.

In front of him was the mighty Nightfury he had shot down. A smile graced his lips.

The dragon inched forward, pressing its snout against the boys open palm.

" Alright Hiccup. " Stoick the Vast, Chief of the hairy Hooligans Tribe and father of Hiccup stood before the boy, and a mountain of a man he was at that. " You get your wish. You start Dragon Training in two days. "

" Oh no, dad...I can't kill dragons. "

" But you will kill dragons. " Stoick responded as he made his way to his room. Leaving Hiccup alone.

Hiccup entered the Dragon Training Arena, where he would be trained how to kill dragons. " I know right. Pain..._love _it. " Sarcasm dripped from his words.

" Oh man, who let him in? " Snotlout, Hiccup's cousin asked to no one in particular. His mood quickly changed as he spotted Heather who was walking in beside Hiccup. " And who let her in? 'Cause I hope she never leaves. " He raised an eyebrow and smugly smiled. " Leaves from my sight that is. "

Heather just rolled her eyes.

" Oh yes, let me introduce you. " Hiccup offered, even though he didn't want to.

" Heather...Fishlegs. " He gestured to a large boy who had light brown animal skins on and broad shoulders, a small helmet was perched on top of his head.

" Meet the twins, Ruffnuts the girl and Tuffnuts the boy. " He tilted his head towards two teenagers who were butting their helmet covered heads against one anothers, fighting about where on the body was the best place to get a scar.

" You already met Snotlout. " Hiccups words were coated with a thin layer a venom, but it went unnoticed.

" And last but not least, Heather meet…" His words were slightly held out as a dreamy gaze of admiration crossed over his forest green eyes. " Astrid. "

Standing before them was a skinny yet fierce looking Viking teen. Wolf skins acted as her clothes as her loose blonde hair covered the left side of her face. Her gaze was nothing less than a glare, her icy blue eyes held no emotion as no spark of life could be seen in the endless depths of her soul piercing orbs. On her metal skull belt was clipped an axe as her right hand held another axe, a single part of one of the double blades was chipped, showing that she had been in more than her fair share of fights.

Gobber pulled down a lever which opened a metal cage door, flying out came an angry Gronckle. " I believe on learning on the job. "

Blasts were fired as shrill screams could be heard emanating from the Arena. Fire sizzled on the walls of the Training Arena as the smell of burning wood hung in the air like a thick fog.

The Gronckle hovered inches away from Hiccup as he hid his face behind his raised arms, squeezing his eyes shut as he waited for death.

" Hiccup! " The scream echoed off the stone walls, loud enough that it made the dragon hesitate for a minute.

He felt his body being shoved away as he caught himself just before his face could make contact with the ground.

Heather took Hiccups place, but this time no one was going to save her. The dragon drew nearer, the glow in the back of its mouth brightened as green gas slightly filled the air. She closed her eyes and pressed her back against the stone cold wall, a reminder that her death would be merciless. Then the dragon fired.

" I know where the Dragon's Nest is. " Hiccup stood in the middle of the Kill Arena, his hand hovering over the snout of a Monstrous Nightmare as he stayed in eye contact with the beast before him.

The rage Stoick had felt for his son lightened at the mention of the Nest, the thing Vikings had been searching for ever since they had sailed across the seas three hundred years ago.

" Where is it Hiccup? " Force edged at the tone of his voice.

" I'll tell you, eventually. But there is something controlling the dragons against their wills, that's the thing you need to kill. But we can only defeat it-"

Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins sat on top of their dragons. The twins shared the Hideous Zippleback, Fishlegs was on the Gronckle, Snotlout sat atop the Monstrous Nightmare as Astrid was confidently perched on top of the Deadly Nadder.

" On top of Dragons. " Hiccup finished.

Stoick took it into consideration, finally he turned and glared at his son. With a sigh, he answered.

The darkness of the cave sent a chill running down their spines as the eery glow from the pit of the inactive volcano lit up the flicker of fear and pure horror that crossed Hiccup and Astrid's faces. Their heartbeats sped up as a knot formed in each of their stomachs, the slight ash making it hard for them to breath.

A giant dragon head came out of the pit, its massive size sent vibrations throughout the whole mountain as it rumbled.

Hiccup's words were filled with shock as the dragon underneath him coward in fear.

" What _is _that thing? "


End file.
